Metropolis Heroes Rising
by Tasermon's Partner
Summary: Back after a much-too-long hiatus!
1. Treasure Hunters

AN: Okay, so I've been writing fan fics on my computer for years now…I've just never posted any of them or let anyone else see them. But when I saw Metropolis, I loved it very, very, very, very, much and went online to read any fan fiction I could find on it. But there were hardly any, and the number of fics centered around Kenichi and Tima were so few that I could almost count them on one hand. I found this very upsetting, and decided that in order to right this terrible wrong, maybe it was time that I let someone else read the stories that popped out of my head…other than my Digimon partner, Tasermon, and my pet guinea pig, whose name is Snowball. So here it is…my very first fic ever posted anywhere about anything. Since it is my first time ever writing for other people, please excuse any misspellings or grammatical errors. It includes some background information about Metropolis, but even so, I recommend that you watch the movie if you haven't already done so in order to fully understand the fic. Also, I tried to make the characters seem as little OOC as possible, but like I said, this is my first post. Plus, since the fic takes place several months after the Ziggurat's collapse, I figured their attitudes and personalities might have changed just a little. Okay, now I'll stop before I _really_ start to ramble. Once again, first fic…so please be gentle.

Disclaimer: Oh, yeah right, go ahead and just try to sue…it'll be worth it just to see the look on your face when the judge hears it and laughs so hard he falls out of his chair. This fic has been rated M for safety, mostly for future chapters, which have the possibility of becoming lemons. Oh, and Treasure Hunters was a 1982 kung-fu movie directed by Lau Ka-Wing.

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Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 1: Treasure Hunters

He gazed upward through the gaping hole, sunlight pouring down through the opening that was several square kilometers in size. It was one of several that were formed recently between Zone 1 and the surface level when the Ziggurat, the world's tallest and most massive superstructure, collapsed upon much of the city below. He was standing with his back up against a concrete pillar, his body hidden by the dark shadows formed by the sunlight as it invaded the underworld of Metropolis. Next to him, also hidden in the shadows, was a large robot, and Albert II model to be precise. The robot's name was Fifi and its former occupation was a maintenance robot, but not anymore. Now Fifi's primary function, as the robot interpreted it, was to help his human friend Kenichi and his fellow robots help rebuild what had been lost during the great collapse.

Kenichi continued to look upwards through the hole to the ruins of the city above. When the Ziggurat fell the explosions and falling debris were so massive that they breached a good portion of the city's surface level and brought it straight down upon Zone 1. The ultimate result was a domino effect as large pieces from the Ziggurat, the surface, and Zone 1 collapsed down upon Zones 2 and 3, utterly annihilating most of the city's multi-leveled infrastructure. Before the Ziggurat had collapsed, the city of Metropolis had been one of the largest, most modern, and technologically advanced cities in the world. Unfortunately, it was also one of the most ignorant regarding the rights and lives of its human and robotic citizens.

What was once Zone 1 was in fact the original city of Metropolis. By most accounts it was once like most other large cities, with a mix of buildings, roads, and small open spaces where a wide variety of people from many different walks of life lived and worked together in relative harmony. But as the city began to rise in power and influence, many of the wealthier and upper-class citizens began to distance themselves from the cares and plights of the other people in city. When the mass production of robots finally came about, they replaced most of the city's lower-class workers as a source for cheap, manual labor. Thus, most of the city's lower-class citizens found themselves unemployed. Meanwhile, the higher-ups had decided to build a new city altogether, literally on top of the old one. Eventually it came to be that the old city and its downtrodden citizens were plunged into darkness as the uncaring upper-class built a new city whose surface was constructed over the old one. In time, the new city of Metropolis became the surface level, while the remains of the old city were given the title of Zone 1.

As the surface level grew ever larger and its people grew ever more greedy and wasteful, new levels were constructed underneath the ruins of Zone 1 to meet the demands of their increasingly gluttonous lifestyles. The level constructed right below Zone 1, which was appropriately called Zone 2, was devoted to meeting the surface's energy needs and housed an abundance of massive power plants, cooling systems, and energy distribution facilities. Further below Zone 2 was Zone 3, a level that consisted of prodigiously sized water and sewage treatment plants. It also had a prodigious stench to match. The disgusting odor was so powerful that the level was run entirely by robots just so that humans wouldn't have to endure it.

Kenichi's gaze slowly turned downward until he was staring directly ahead at the debris fields that were spread across the remains of what had been Zone 1. If they were lucky, then this area just might be the one where they would find the treasure they were hunting for.

"Beep beep beep beeeep beep?"

"I don't know for certain, but it looks pretty safe." He answered his robotic pal as he slowly stuck his head out further from behind the tunnel to get a better view. "Do you detect anything out there?" Fifi moved out from behind the shadows and slowly scanned the giant piles of rubble.

"Beep beep boop."

"Well alright then, let's go." Kenichi turned to his friend, gave a quick nod, and ran out from the shadows at full speed until he reached a piece of concrete debris a few meters out and ducked behind it. A moment later he raised his head above the fallen concrete slab and looked around the monstrous chasm cautiously, making sure he had not been spotted. When it looked like the coast was clear, he stood up and waved for Fifi to follow him. The robot quickly caught up and together the two zipped forward towards on of the main debris fields, periodically ducking and hiding behind some obstruction or piece of wreckage in hopes not being seen.

Back before the collapse, the city's zones had been tightly controlled and there were only a few entrances and exits between the various zones and the surface. In order to travel between the different zones or to the surface level, a special pass was needed that was very hard to obtain, especially if the person didn't have a lot of wealth or power. The restrictions were even worse for robots. Most robots were assigned to a specific zone, and once activated, spent the remainder of their lives working in that zone. Any robot that left their assigned zone was shot on sight by the Marduk security forces and their bodies were turned to scrap. But since the Ziggurat's collapse created huge gaping holes in many places, theaccess between levels was now much easier, especially since much of the security and military forces had either been destroyed during the collapse or had deserted their posts afterwards. But factions still existed and there were many dangers in the city, especially in the subterranean levels and out in the open areas and debris fields. Thus, Kenichi and Fifi had to proceed with caution. Fifi in particular had to be careful, since robots were sometimes seen as nothing more than emotionless, nonliving machines by some of the city's remaining human inhabitants. Kenichi knew this to be nothing more than propaganda produced by the people who were ignorant of the robots' true potential and looked down at their very existence. He despised their lies with every fiber of his being, and became quite agitated at the mere thought of some ignorant human abusing his robotic friends like that.

"Beep beep beep…beep beep."

"No, I don't see anyone either." Kenichi replied while slowly looking around. "We should be safe for now, but if we're spotted, I want you to head back into the tunnel as fast as you can, got it?"

"Beep beep."

The two companions crept out from behind a pile of small rubble and approached the main debris field, careful to make as little noise as possible as they went. The debris field was well over a square kilometer in size and consisted of a great deal of junk and wreckage from the surface, as well as rubble from the buildings that once were a part of this area of Zone 1. In some places the rubble was several thousand feet high, in other places there was hardly more than a heavy layer of dust and grit. In a few spots there were large holes in the floor that indicated where pieces of debris had fallen straight through Zone 1 and down into Zones 2 and 3. Nearby this debris field were several others that were just as large, if not larger. This particular field was the third one that they had searched through in just the past month.

"Guess we had better get started. You take that pile over there and I'll take that one." Kenichi said, pointing to two of the relatively smaller piles that were fairly close together. "And be sure to stay where I can see you, I don't want you falling into Zone 2 again! I nearly lost you last time!"

Kenichi was very protective of Fifi. He viewed the large, loveable robot like a big brother and wasn't about to let anything happen to Fifi if he could help it. He felt the same way about all of his friends, and was equally protective of the as well. Kenichi hoped that they saw it that way, instead of viewing him as a bother to them. He was just concerned about them, particularly because of the fact that they were all didn't really have anyone in Metropolis that he was close to that wasn't a robot. Sometimes this caused certain problems; since most of the city's other human inhabitants weren't too fond of the robots. Kenichi didn't really see why. It was like they were totally ignorant of the fact that the robotshad emotions and thoughts just like they of them never even took the time to learn anything about the robots, without whom the city couldn't even have functioned properly.

"Anything yet?" yelled Kenichi to Fifi, who was slowly sifting through his pile of rubble.

"Beep beep boop."

"Well, just keep on looking and I'm sure we'll find one eventually." he yelled. Then, under his breath, "In about a hundred years maybe…if we're lucky."

"Beep beep beep beep beeeep beep?"

"Huh? No, it's a giant, black metal cylinder with fluid transfer hoses sticking out of the sides near the top and an electrical utility conduit on the bottom, Remember?"

"Beep beep beep."

The two continued searching, sifting through the seemingly endless mountains of metals, plastics, and other pieces of junk. The piece that they were looking for was actually quite large, nearly a meter in diameter, but with half the city crumpled up around them, the task seemed greater than finding a needle in a haystack. It would be a little easier if they had more help, but he was reluctant to have any of the other robots out here in the open. The less attention the robots drew, the better. Besides the robots, Kenichi didn't really know anyone left in Metropolis, which meant he couldn't rely on any of the other humans helping him, not that he would anyway, considering what their reaction might be when they figured out what he was looking for.

Kenichi wasn't originally from Metropolis, but from Japan. A short time before the collapse of the Ziggurat, he had accompianed his uncle, Shunsaku Ban, from Tokyo to the great island city-state of Metropolis. His uncle, who had taken care of him since he was little, was an investigator trying to track down the infamous Dr. Laughton, who was suspected of smuggling and experimenting on human organs illegally and was wanted in several countries for his crimes. Kenichi and his uncle had tracked him to Metropolis, where they were given the assistance of a police robot, named Pero. Together, he, his uncle, and Pero found 's secret lab deep in the bowels of Zone 1. They had arrived just as Dr. Laughton's lab was being engulfed in flames. While his uncle tried to rescue Laughton from the fire, Kenichi had bravely searched the rest of the flaming structure for signs of anyone else who might need to be saved. That was when he had first met…her. The one who had changed his life. She was his best friend. She was the one who showed him what robots were truly capable of, the one who helped him explore his own emotions, his own humanity. She, who wasn't even a human herself, but was something much greater…she who was an angel.

"Tima…" whispered Kenichi quietly to himself. He had stopped at the thought and sat down on large piece of scrapped titanium plating. He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his head in legs, cuddling up in an almost fetal-like position. He sighed and thought back on his times with the girl that had changed his life before the collapse.

"Beep beep beep? Beep beep? Beep?...Beep?...BEEEEPPP!"

"Huh?" Kenichi was suddenly jolted out of his numb state by Fifi, who had been trying to get his attention for a little while now and had resorted to the equivalent of yelling at him to try and awaken him from his dazed state. Kenichi stood up in an instant and made a slight bow, apologizing to his friend. "Sorry about that! I guess I kind of drifted off there for a second."

"Beep beep beep beep beep boop." It seemed that Fifi had realized what Kenichi had been thinking.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We're doing this for her and if we want to get it done then have to keep on searching." Kenichi stretched out his arms, turned around, and continued inspecting the pile of debris he had just been sitting on.

"Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!" Kenichi could tell that Fifi had now cheered up, just by the happy, perky tones of his friend's beeps and the way Fifi's body jerked and swayed in a manner that clearly reflected his joy.

The two continued searching for what must have been several more hours at least, clearing one pile and then moving on to the next. Though they made great progress, especially after Fifi's little pep talk, they had still only searched a small fraction of the debris field. Then suddenly…

"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!"

"Huh?" Kenichi turned around and faced his companion, who was digging through a pile of rubble off to his side. "Found what? What did you find? The missing piece to the-"

"HEY YOU!" Kenichi spun around and nearly fell off his pile in shock to see who was shouting at them and why. At the end of the chasm, near the tunnel they had entered through, stood a group of five men, all wearing dirty and torn up clothing. Several of them had weapons in their hands.

"YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? IS THAT YOUR ROBOT? WHY ISN'T IT AT ONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION SITES HELPING THE OTHERS? THIS AREA HASN'T BEEN ASSIGNED TO BE CLEARED YET!"

Things had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. The men might have just wanted to know what was going on, and may have had no intention of harming them, but somehow Kenichi doubted it and he certainty wasn't going to take the chance. If those men figured out that Fifi was thinking and acting of his own accord they might decide to dismantle the robot! Worse still, they might find the other robots in the tunnels, and then they would find…NO! No, he was NOT going to let that happen! They had to get out of here fast! But how? The men were only a few meters away from the tunnel. Even if they tried to run they'd never get there in time. He had to act quickly if he was to ensure Fifi's safety.

"FIFI! JUMP!" Kenichi yelled as he jumped off of the rubble and quickly ran for the far side of the chasm, away from the men. Fifi followed suit and within seconds was right on Kenichi's trail.

"HEY YOU! STOP! WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU!" shouted one of the men, who took off after the boy and his mechanical friend. Needless to say, the duo did not stop. Fifi, being much faster than Kenichi, swept up his human counterpart from behind, and carried him in his arms as he zoomed through the debris field, swerving around the piles and chunks of rubble that blocked their path.

"FIFI! STOP!" commanded Kenichi after they had gotten far enough ahead of the men. Fifi slowed to halt and at Kenichi's urgings, put down him down. "We'll split up! I'll try to draw their attention and while they're distracted you go around that line of rubble over there, double back, and head for the tunnel!"

"Beep beep beep beep!"

"We don't have time for that right now! If those men catch you then we could all be in trouble! I'm a human, so they might go easier on me. Head back for the tunnel and I'll try to meet you there!"

"Beep beep!" Fifi didn't put up any further argument and rushed behind a pile of rubble just as the men came into view, panting in exhaustion from trying to keep up with the robot.

"Hey over here! Look at me!" shouted Kenichi, flailing his arms around in the air.

Just as predicted, the men were ignorant enough to focus only on him and didn't even seem to take notice of Fifi's absence. Kenichi ran as fast as he could, dodging debris and hiding behind rubble whenever possible, the men yelling and chasing him all the while. He was actually doing a decent job of avoiding them, but just as he cleared a large chunk of concrete, he tripped over a broken piece of metal and fell to the floor, face first. When he found the power to get to his knees and started to stand up, he opened his eyes…and gasped at what lay before him. There on the floor, not even a meter in front of him, laid Dr. Laughton's red journal! It took Kenichi a second to fully grasp that he wasn't dreaming and that the book lying right in front of him was indeed the doctor's journal, and not just a figment of his imagination or some other red book that happened to look similar. After a few seconds of staring closely at it in dumbfounded amazement, he knew there was no mistake. It had to be the journal!

Kenichi scurried forward, and snapped the book up in his arms, clutching it closely to his chest as if it were a life preserver, for truly it was. It was a life preserver that could help save one of his friends, his best friend!

"TIMA! YES!" Kenichi cried out at the top of his lungs, holding onto the book for dear life. Unfortunately, his sudden outburst had attracted unwanted attention.

"HEY!-_pant_-YOU THERE!-_pant_-STOP!-_pant_-PLEASE!-_wheeze_-" cried out one of the men who had been chasing him, and who was near exhaustion from said chase. Kenichi looked up in fear at the approaching man, clutching the book to his chest even tighter than before. He was NOT going to let the man take the book away from him. He'd rather fight than be parted from it if that's what it took.

But before the man could come any closer, _SWOSH!_, Kenichi was swooped up into the arms of a robot speeding by so quickly that the approaching man barley had time to register it.

"Fifi!" shouted Kenichi as his robotic comrade speed forward through the debris field and into the tunnel before any of their pursuers had a chance to follow them! Once inside the tunnel, Fifi slowed down slightly, but still kept a good pace as he turned, weaved, and flew down the maze of intersecting and crossing tunnels and pathways. When they were a good enough distance into the tunnel system to ensure that they weren't being followed, Fifi stopped, released Kenichi and checked him over for damage.

"Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep beep beep! Beep beep boop boop!"

"What! Hey! Stop it! That tickles! Hahahahaha!" Kenichi laughed out loud as Fifi continued to physically inspect his body to make sure he was okay. "Hahahaha! No, seriously, stop! I can't take much more tickling!" At Kenichi's insistence, Fifi stopped his examination.

"Beep beep! Beep beep beeeep beep beep…beep."

"I'm fine, really. I got more scratches from digging around in that pile of rubble than I did during that chase. And besides, what about you? I thought I told you to make a run for it."

"Beep beep beep beep beep beep….beep beep beeeep beep boop."

"I didn't mean for you to make a run for it with me in your arms! And you knew it." Kenichi giggled and nodded his appreciation to his robotic friend. Apparently Fifi had no intention of leaving him behind, and had purposely made his own interpretation Kenichi's pleas just so he could swoop in at last moment and rescue him, and the red book, in the process. "Ahh! The journal!" Kenichi stared down at his arms, elated beyond relief to see that it was still clutched tightly to his chest. For a second he had been afraid that he had dropped it during their escape, but apparently he had a firm grip on it the whole time, even when Fifi was tickling him to death. "Look Fifi! The journal! Dr. Laughton's journal!" cried Kenichi as spun around in circles and jumped and leaped for joy because he was so happy!

"Beep beep beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep beep beep?"

"It was just lying there right on the floor! I can hardly believe it!" Kenichi turned the book over in his hands. It looked to be in almost perfect condition! There was hardly a scratch on it! It had survived the fall of the Ziggurat virtually unscathed! "Fifi, do you know what this means!" The look on Kenichi's face was priceless. It could have lit up the sun itself! Fifi hadn't seen his friend anywhere near this happy in months!

"Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep boop!"

"That's right…" Kenichi whimpered blissfully. He was so overwhelmed that knees began to buckle and he slid slowly down to the floor, his back against the wall. "Tima…" he whispered. "With this book we can get her back the right way! No more guess work, no more theorizing, no more improvising…" Kenichi closed his eyes; it all seemed like a wonderful dream. After so many months of waiting and working and toiling he finally had all of the answers right here in his hands. And to think that it was right there on the floor the whole time, right out in the open, not buried under rubble or burned in one of the fires or destroyed in the explosions or anything! He was just thankful that he found it when he did, before something happened to it or the debris was cleared away by one of the reconstruction crews.

"Beep beep beep beep beep beep, beep beep beeeep beep!"

Kenichi was brought out of his daze by his mechanical friend's happy and curious rantings. "More? What do you mean there's more?"

Fifi reached towards the hollow storage compartment that served as his abdomen, where he had once been forced to store sewage waste back when he was still a maintenance robot. He opened the mechanical door leading to the hidden compartment and pulled out…

"The bottom assembly to the regeneration capsule!" cried out Kenichi joyfully! This was it! One of the final missing components! It was the treasure that he and Fifi had originally set out to search for that morning. "Where did you find it!"

"Beep beep beep beep beep beeeep beep beep beeeep beep!" explained Fifi, reminding him of how he had found the device hidden amongst the debris just before their search had been so rudely interrupted.

"Yes! We did it! We found Dr. Laughton's journalAND thebottom half of the capsule's assembly in just one day!" Kenichi practically jumped onto his older robotic brother, giving him a tight bear hug that seemed to make Fifi go almost crazy with glee! "Thank you!" he whispered while still clutching his friend. He had to close his eyes to try and stop the tears from coming out, and even then it didn't work. "Thank you so much Fifi! I could never have done this without you! I owe you everything! I owe you my life! Tima owes you her life! I can never repay you or thank you enough!" His friend responded by beeping and booping liked there was no tomorrow.

Kenichi could hardly believe it. He had hoped that there had been a regeneration capsule somewhere in the Ziggurat, just in case Tima had needed a recharge after being hooked into the leviathan's corrupt systems. He doubted that the malevolent Duke Red would leave something like that up to chance, especially considering that it was Tima's welfare that was at stake. Still, even if there was a backup capsule, Kenichi had all but given up hope that it would have survived the collapse intact. Yet, here it was. And just by glancing at it through his watery eyes Kenichi could tell that the damage to it was remarkably light. A few missing wires and cracks in the exterior casing seemed to be the extent of it. With the help of the other robots, he could have it looking like new in no time. They were finally on their way to achieving their goal of rebuilding what the collapse and the evil and maniacal Duke Red had taken away from them. They were going to get Tima back!

"Beep beep beep beep. Boop beep beep beep beep boop boop. Boop boop boop beep beep beeeep!"

Kenichi sniffed, his eyes still watery, and glanced up at his friend, finally releasing him from his bear hug. "You're right-_sniff_-we should get going.-_sniff_-The others will be waiting for us. And-_sniff_-we still have lots of work to do, but at least we're making some solid progress now."

Fifi nodded in agreement, and put the capsule assembly back into his storage compartment. Before he could seal the compartment however, Kenichi handed him Dr. Laughton's journal and told him to store it along with the assembly. "There's nobody I trust more than you to keep it safe." After Fifi happily beeped a thank you, Kenichi once again climbed aboard the robot, which then took off down the tunnel towards the safe haven that they and the other robots currently inhabited.

Their base of operations was in an isolated section of Zone 1. It was on one of the higher floors and was really a platform with several old but sturdy brick and metal buildings. The buildings were just a few stories tall, and they weren't much to look at, but they provided adequate room and protection. Part of the platform had been ripped off during the collapse, leaving most of the buildings with a view of one of the larger chasms and the subsequent gapping hole leading to the surface level. The platform was surrounded on three sides by tall concrete and metal walls that kept it relatively isolated from the surrounding neighborhoods. In addition to the walls acting as a security barrier, several of them were also support structures for buildings up on the surface level, which was probably the reason why they were originally built.

Kenichi and Fifi had stumbled across the little borough a few months back while they were surveying the damage caused by the collapse. No one seemed to know what happened to the humans who lived there before. It could have been that they were evacuated after the collapse, or maybe they had just decided it would be safer to move to another part of the city. The circumstances didn't really matter. The main thing was that it was isolated and provided more than enough room for Kenichi, Fifi, and a small assortment of their robotic friends to live in relative harmony.

As Fifi sped out of the tunnel and onto the platform with Kenichi holding on for the ride, they were greeted by their mechanical comrades, many of whom scurried out of the nearby buildings and shadows to meet them in the center of the platform. Some of the robots were small, others large. Several were Albert II models like Fifi was. There were maintenance robots, construction robots, and even a few service robots that were originally from the surface level. They only numbered several dozen, which barley even qualified as a fraction of the city's gigantic robot population, but there were other groups of robots living in similar circumstances in other parts of the city, and the robot communities were growing in number. Since the great collapse had made it easier to gain access to Metropolis's different zones, the robots were finally free to congregate and roam about some of the city's less inhabited underground areas at will…most of the time.

Some of the robots still had jobs and duties to perform, most having to do with Metropolis's clean up and rebuilding efforts. Some worked in shifts while others, who were supposed to be working continuously, just managed to slip away unnoticed on occasion for a much deserved break. Upon Kenichi and Fifi's arrival, they were greeted by a chorus of cheerful and curious beeps, boops, clicks, whistles, and other various mechanical noises. Only the most advanced of Metropolis's robots had voice synthesizers, which allowed them to speak human languages, and most of those were surface level robots that tended to the city's wealthier residents. Kenichi, who had spent the past several months living in isolation with his robot pals, quickly caught on to their mechanical language and was able to easily understand what they were saying. Since all robots understood human languages, as they were programmed to accept voice commands, the language barrier between Kenichi and the robots was quickly dismantled.

At the relief of seeing their friends return safely, and at the great news that they had actually found the bottom assembly to a regeneration capsule, the amount of jovial noise increased significantly. Then, Kenichi reached into Fifi's storage compartment and pulled out Dr. Laughton's journal, holding the book over his head for everyone to see. Once he explained to them exactly what the book meant, the crowd made a ruckus of joyous noise so loud that Kenichi nearly had to cover his ears! For a moment he was afraid that the celebration was becoming so loud that it might attract unwanted attention, since he was sure that it could be heard halfway clear across Zone 1. He couldn't blame them in the least though, for they had found a great treasure. With the contents of the book, they could finally make their family whole again!

After a long while, when the jubilating robots had finally managed to calm down ever so slightly, Kenichi stepped forward and started walking towards a three story, metal, gray building in the far corner of the platform. The crowd of still cheering robots parted, making a path for their human friend. He marched forward happily, wearing a large, goofy grin across his face and his eyes beginning to water up with tears of joy yet again. Fifi came up behind him, holding the capsule assembly in his arms. Together, the two made their way into the building via a large open doorframe in the front. It was here that the tears finally threatened to stream down Kenichi's face yet again as he stared at the site before him.

Scattered across the length of the small, warehouse-type structure were tables and boxes covered with the remains of old and currently non-functioning robots. Wires and pieces of metal and computer chips and spare parts of every shape and size filled the dimly lit building. This building was the main reason why their community had moved into this particular borough. This was the center for all of their activities, one of the primary reasons they had all come together. This was where they rebuilt their robotic friends and brethren that were destroyed or damaged during the great collapse. And in the very center of the building, lit up by sunbeams flowing through a hole in the roof, was a large metal table. And on the table lay the scattered pieces and body parts of a very distinct and beautiful mechanical humanoid, one of the most sophisticated and advanced ever created in the world.

"Tima…" Kenichi whispered, slowly making his way towards the collection of mechanical parts, towards the remains of his best friend.

Tears freely flowing down his cheeks, he reached forward and gently placed the red book near the table's edge. His hand, trembling, drifted towards the damaged remains of the human-like face, and gently stroked one cheek, then the other. Kenichi's gaze wondered to the edge of the table, where the young robotic girl's heart was laid neatly on top of a pile of old, faded, yellow newspapers. His hand wandered away from her face and slowly picked up the heart. He felt its weight and texture in his hand. The device was the most essential to her reconstruction. It held all of her emotions and feelings and most of her memories. He gently placed it back down upon the paper.

Tears still in his eyes, he turned around, only to see that Fifi and the rest of his extended family had followed him in and were giving him mechanical looks of hope and happiness. Kenichi had never felt so humbled. They had all gone to such great lengths to him out, some risking their lives on occasion, even though he was just a human kid. His voice cracked as more tears streamed down his already wet face.

"T-Thank you a-all s-s-so much. I could n-never had done any of this without y-you. A-All of you." he sniffed. Fifi came up to him, and enveloped him in a brotherly bear hug. They had all sacrificed so much just so that he, so they, could bring their friend back. "I p-promise I won't let you all d-d-down." His face suddenly sprouted a look of utter determination and willpower, and he slowly unburied his face from the body of his robotic friend, his drying eyes scanning each member of his mechanical family who stood in front of him. In a very bold declaration, he shot a fist up into the air and loudly proclaimed, "We WILL get Tima back! I promise you!" At that moment, the robots' cheers grew deafening. As he turned back around to stare down at the mechanical face of his soon to be resurrected friend, he whispered, "You changed my life, saved me so many times, now I'm going to do the same for you. I promise I'll get you back Tima…I promise you'll finally be safe…I promise." And the tears ran down his face once again.

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Well, how'd ya like it? I already have several other chapters planned out, and can write plenty more, but I wrote this chapter in such a way that I think it can stand alone as kind of a one-shot…especially if it doesn't seem like too many people liked it or want it to be continued. So, what'd you say? Should I continue posting it, or just leave it as it is and write the other chapters just for my personal enjoyment without posting them here?


	2. I, Robot

AN: Hooray! People liked it! It makes me feel happy to know that it made someone else feel happy after reading it! Well, I was asked very nicely by a reviewer to continue this story and after consulting with my Digimon partner and some of the voices in my head, I agreed! So here's the second chapter. Please excuse any misspellings or grammatical errors. Once again, it's pretty long and there's not much speech, but there is a lot of emotion. Hope you like it! Oh, and I, Robot was a movie released in 2004 starring Will Smith and directed by Alex Proyas. In the movie, the world's robots, fed up with abuse and unequal treatment, attempt to take over and dominate the human race. Not really that far-fetched if you think about it. It just goes to show you that you should be nice to robots and computers. Anywaaay……on with the show, err, fic, err…you know what I mean!

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 2: I, Robot

Kenichi glared through his goggles, trying his best to concentrate. Carefully, he brought up the laser welder and pointed it at the thin line separating the two bottom halves of the assembly. Sweat glistened across his face and he had to force himself to take a deep breath and calm down, lest his hands begin to tremble again. This was the third time that he had tried this procedure, the first two failing because he was so nervous that the laser began to stray off course when his hands began to quiver. Normally he would entrust this sort of job to one of the welding robots, but they were either all out working or busy with other tasks at the moment and Kenichi utterly refused to wait any longer.

"You can do this." he mumbled to himself. "It's for Tima, you have to do it for Tima's sake."

He pointed the laser at the hairline fracture, pressed the top button with his thumb, focused intensely on the direction of the small laser beam that shot out, and gradually began moving the beam along the crack. After several minutes of bright sparks and extreme heat, Kenichi turned off the laser, stood up, and stepped back to check on his work. The heated metal slowly faded from burning hot red back to its original dull gray color. Taking off his protective goggles, Kenichi closely inspected his work, running his fingers across the newly fused joint.

"Beep beep beep boop." Kenichi turned around and saw Fifi standing in the doorway, eager to see how his human friend was progressing.

"Uh-huh, all finished! That should be the last of it." Kenichi took a few steps back and joined Fifi in admiring the completed work.

Just a week after they had stumbled across the final piece of the assembly, the regeneration capsule was now complete. He had just welded on the last key element, the bottom half of the capsule's lower cover.

"Beep beep boop beep beep?"

"I think so, but we'd better check, just to be safe."

The two companions then proceeded to physically inspect every part of the assembly. The machine was quite large, and looked a lot like a stasis chamber. There was big plastic pod in middle, nearly eight feet high, where the patient, in this case Tima, would be placed. On the top and bottom ends of the pod were two large, metallic half-spheres that contained the various gauges, hoses, tubes, pipes, and electrical equipment that controlled the amounts and types of fluids that would fill the chamber once it was sealed with the person inside. Attached to the edges of the pod, and to the chamber itself, were a number of hoses and wires that were connected to a master control console on the left side of the assembly, and a generator on the right side.

"This side seems secure, what about yours?"

"Beep beep beep."

"Good." nodded Kenichi.

"Beep beep beep beep beep beep boop beeeep?"

Kenichi paused and looked up, facing Fifi. "No, not yet. There's still one piece missing…the most important one."

"Beep."

Kenichi nodded. "We need Tima. Nothing will be complete until she comes out of this thing alive and fully regenerated."

The amount of progress that they had made on the regeneration capsule had been astonishing, especially since they had found the bottom half to assembly and Dr. Laughton's instructions on how to piece everything together. Kenichi and the robots had already obtained many of the needed parts from the scorched remains of Laughton's lab, which, luckily, had survived the Ziggurat's collapse without further damage. But several pieces had been beyond repair, and they were thus forced to search the Ziggurat's wreckage in the hopes that there had been a backup capsule in the monstrous building and that it had somehow survived the collapse.

True, they could have tried to build the missing pieces on their own and from scratch, but it would have taken months and a lot of it would have been guesswork. Kenichi was nervous enough as it was, even with the proper bottom assembly and Dr. Laughton's journals guiding them along in the assembly's construction. He shuddered to think of what might have happened had they been forced to construct their own assembly. Even so, they still had to substitute many of the machine's components with spare parts they had lying around, and its construction had been so complex that something could have easily gone wrong. He was simply thankful that Fifi had been able to miraculously find the assembly and the instruction manual in the journal. But no matter what progress they made on the capsule, it wouldn't mean a thing unless Tima was ready to go in it. Fortunately, with the help of the journal, her progress was coming along almost as quickly as that of the machine that would soon help revive her.

"Beep beep beep beep…beep beep…beep boop." Fifi interjected, telling Kenichi of the good news concerning Tima's progress.

"Then we're ready to activate her secondary command processor?"

"Beep beep."

Fifi and Kenichi then proceeded to the adjacent repair and maintenance warehouse; where there were currently several robots working on the reconstruction of Tima and their other damaged mechanical brethren. Two of the smaller repair robots were hunched over Tima's now nearly complete body. They scurried out of the way when Fifi and Kenichi approached. Kenichi looked down at the naked body of his friend and sighed longingly, thankful that she would soon be with him again, yet cursing at the fact that she wasn't with him already, despite the fact that they were working as fast as they could.

He turned to one of the smaller robots, a modified Albert I model. "Is she ready?"

"Beep beep."

He then turned toward Fifi. "Do you have the chips?"

Fifi nodded, opened his center compartment, and pulled out two very small, white, square computer chips, gently handing them to Kenichi. The chips were barley even a quarter of a square inch in size and easily fit in the palm of Kenichi's hand. He then turned to the other small robot just opposite him, a modified Kyo III model, whose original occupation had been repairing electrical conduits in Zone 2. The robot nodded, bent over the table, took out a small, needle-like device, and slowly tapped it against the back of Tima's mechanical collarbone. Shortly afterwards, a small panel opened at the base of her head, near the top of the neck. This was a secret compartment that they had installed during her reconstruction that gave them access to her central command processors.

Kenichi put on a pair magnifier goggles and peered inside, trying to locate her secondary command processor. He always felt weird about working on her in this state, seeing her most important parts exposed right in front of him. He would always blush slightly and stomach would fill with butterflies as he silently asked her forgiveness for staring at her while she was in such an exposed condition, even if it was when he was repairing her.

The goggles helped magnify her inner workings, and Kenichi soon identified the access ports for her secondary command processors. He glanced over at the Kyo III, who intuitively handed him a small gripping needle and a small laser fastener. Kenichi used the gripping needle to grab hold of the chips used it to insert them into their proper places on the processor. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he then used the laser fastener to join the chipstothe processor's primary circuit board pathways.

Having spent the past several months working on Tima and the others, Kenichi now had a thorough understanding of the inner workings of most robots, and had learned how to complete a wide range of repairs on his own. Even though Tima was very advanced, and he admittedly still didn't fully understand all of her internal functions, he preferred to work on her personally, just to make sure that she was being assembled properly. Besides, having now memorized almost every page in Dr. Laughton's journal, he figured that he was the most qualified to help out.

Kenichi continued working for what seemed like hours, though it was really just a few minutes. After attaching the last of the electrical wires to the pathways connecting the new chips, he stepped back to let the robots inspect his work. The Kyo III model had a small camera lens in the middle of its head that acted as a visual sensor. The camera turned and whizzed out slightly, zooming in on Kenichi's work.

"Beep beep beep boop…beep beep." It announced upon completion of the inspection.

Kenichi nodded and let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Now she should be able to override any hidden or forced command codes. And that second chip should work as an adequate backup during program transferals. They should ensure that she's in constant control of her programming, and that no outside interference or viruses can supersede or manipulate her independent control over the systems."

"Beep beep, beep beep beep Beep?" asked Fifi.

"Right!" replied Kenichi, "Now no one can take control of her systems except her!"

When they had found Dr. Laughton's journal and began her reconstruction, this was one of the first modifications they had set about installing. They didn't want anyone taking control of Tima's body. Such an incident had happened once before, and had nearly led to the annihilation of humankind.

The evil Duke Red, who had originally ordered Dr. Laughton to construct Tima, had overridden her programming against her will, and forced her to do his bidding. He used her as a catalyst to activate a weapon of mass destruction and employed the Ziggurat as a launch platform. The weapon was more powerful than any other ever created, and had the power to affect the intensity and output of electromagnetic radiation from the sun itself.

He was a malicious man who wanted nothing more than absolute dictatorship over the entire world. But when he forced Tima to follow his commands and hooked her up to the Ziggurat's primary control center, a throne shaped device that activated the colossal weapon, it corrupted her core programming. She lost control of all her systems and her self-defense programming took over all of her other functions.

The corrupted programming then went rogue and spread throughout the Ziggurat's systems. From there, it transmitted itself as a broadcast wave form to every robot in Metropolis, overriding all of their systems' programming and sending them on a murderous rampage throughout the city. The rogue program interpreted humans as the primary threat to its existence and had determined that they needed to be eliminated. But the program's vengeance wasn't aimed solely at the humans of Metropolis. It used the Ziggurat's systems to hack into virtually every military computer network in the world, threatening to launch an all out attack against every major city and country by using their own nuclear and biological weapons against them.

But Kenichi wasn't about to lose Tima without a fight. At the last second he had been able to rescue her and break her away from the throne. The disconnection had caused the abortion of the all-out apocalyptic attack against the other cities, but it also overloaded the Ziggurat's weapons systems, causing them to initiate a self-destruct sequence. The resulting explosions caused the Ziggurat to collapse and fall upon much of Metropolis, utterly ruining the once-proud city.

With the installation of the new computer chips however, Tima should be able to resist any attempts to hack, alter, or manipulate her programming against her will. She, and she alone, would be in control of her actions. Nobody would be able to take away her freewill or independence ever again.

"Can we upload the new programming parameters now?"

"Beep beep." The Albert I model grabbed a long, gray cable and attached it to the exposed access port in her neck. The cable was attached to a large computer server on the other side of the warehouse. The server contained new programming modifications that would ensure that Tima could use her self-defense programming at her discretion, and also made certain that she alone would be in charge of that programming at all times, even when the program perceived something or someone as a threat.

"How long will the upload take?"

"Beep beep beep beep-beep beep."

"That long, huh? Is there any way to speed up the process?"

"Beep boop."

"Okay then, what else needs to be done?"

"Beep beep."

"What, nothing? There isn't anything else?"

"Beep beep boop." The Albert I model shook his head, informing Kenichi that there was nothing else they could do until the upload was complete.

"Oh…alright then. Guess I'll go help prepare the regeneration capsule for the transplant."

Kenichi turned and started to walk back towards the building where the capsule was being stored, but found his path suddenly blocked by Fifi. No matter which way Kenichi turned, or how hard he tried to dodge him, Fifi would move to block his path.

"Fifi, what are you doing? Let me move."

But Fifi stretched out his robotic arms and refused to let Kenichi pass. "Beep beep beep beep beep beep. Beep beep beep boop. Beep beep beep, beep beep beeep beeeep!"

"What? I don't need sleep! I'm perfectly fine. Fifi, wha-…hey stop! Let me go!"

"Beep beep beep beep beep. Beeep beep beep beep beeep." Fifi knew that Kenichi could be stubborn sometimes, especially when it came to Tima. He also knew that Kenichi hadn't slept in several days and it was beginning to show. Thus, he wrapped Kenichi in his powerful mechanical arms and utterly refused to let him go until he agreed to get some sleep, insisting that he and the other robots could handle the final preparations.

"_argh_-Come on Fifi,-_umph_-just let me help-_umph_-then I promise I'll get some sleep!"

But Fifi wouldn't let go of his smaller human sibling and reminded him that if he didn't get some sleep soon, he wouldn't be of much to anyone. "Beep beep beep beep. Beeep beep beep beep boop beep."

After a few more minutes of struggle, Kenichi finally gave up and reluctantly agreed to follow the robot's orders. "Fine…but just for a few hours! And I expect you to wake me up the minute you and the others get done, okay?" Fifi nodded in agreement, released his hold on the young human, and moved to the side as Kenichi marched out, heading for the far side of the compound. He swore he could hear Fifi make a triumphant series of beeps as he left.

Kenichi mumbled under his breath as he stalked off, pretending to be angry at Fifi, but deep down inside he knew that he couldn't chastise his friend for worrying about him. And though he wouldn't admit it, he was beginning to feel fatigued, even more so now that his condition had been pointed out to him. After a moment his sour mood lifted entirely as he strolled into a small, two-story, metal building near the far left support wall. He had claimed aliving unit on the second floor as his residence, though he hardly ever spent any time there.

The unit was quite small, but average sized by Zone 1 standards. It consisted of two was aliving/kitchen area, andthe otherone was abedroom. Somehow, the previous residentshad beenable to tap into a sewer line running down from the surface level, allowing them to have toilet facilities, which were rare in Zone 1. The toilet, really just a hole in floor, was located in the bedroom. The bed, which wasactually nothing more than a pair of blankets, was situated at the opposite end of the room. The unit also had running water, another rarity, which came out through a pipe hanging down from the bedroom ceiling. This was the dwelling's version of a shower. The toilet hole acted as the drain.

The living room/kitchen was also quite meager, with a pair of chairs, one of which was a cardboard box, a small wooden table, a battery powered crock-pot that had been scavenged from the wreckage of the collapse, and another water pipe that stuck out of the wall and acted as a sink. Both rooms were only a few hundred square feet in size. There was no electricity, windows, or ventilation and thus there was very light, most of which came through the open doorway. The water was heated though, since the water pipeline ran right next to a surface-bound steam duct. It was true that the living conditions were quite horrid by most standards, but as far as Zone 1 went, the accommodations were some of the most luxurious ones available.

Walking by the table, Kenichi noticed that a broken plate had been set out with food on it. Apparently Fifi had thought of everything, including Kenichi's now grumbling stomach. Kenichi realized that he hadn't eaten in more than a day, and silently blessed his mechanized friend for having the forethought to prepare a meal for him. True, it wasn't much more than a few slices of stale bread and some sort of potato mush that he couldn't identify, but it was still food, and any kind of food, even if it was old and rotten, was very hard to come by in Zone 1.

After scarfing down the meal, Kenichi went over to bedroom, undressed, and pulled a small lever on the wall. Water poured down from the overhead pipe, and Kenichi tried to wash off as much dirt and filth from his body as he could. There was no soap. After washing off he dressed into the same clothes he wore before, fluffed up his blankets, and settled down to sleep. Though thoughts of Tima made it difficult to slumber off, pure exhaustion soon overcame him, and he was forced to close his eyes. The sounds of gentle snoring quickly followed.

* * *

Dawn had broken over the ruins of the city, and Kenichi and his band of resilient robots stood before their greatest achievement yet. The now nearly completed body of Tima floated above them in the blue-green liquids of the regeneration capsule. Various wires and supports were attached to different parts of her nude and mostly mechanical body. Occasionally a small jet of bubbles would burst upward from the bottom of the chamber. Once again, Kenichi couldn't help but blush as he stared in awe of Tima's hypnotic radiance. The hues of the liquids only seem to enhance her heavenly beauty.

Kenichi's heart was beating so fast that he could he could feel it pounding against his chest. His face glistened with sweat, not from exhausting labor, but from pure anxiety and worry. This was it, the final step. Her body was almost finished. All that remained was her biological components. They had gathered what little of her skin, hair, and other organic parts they could find after the collapse, and placed them on the appropriate sample analyzer trays inside the capsule. If everything went according to plan, the capsule would examine the samples, determine their structure, makeup, and placement, and use a combination of artificial growth hormones, corresponding catalytic liquids, electromagnetic radiation, and augmented cells to cultivate and reproduce Tima's biological workings and attach them to her body. In other words, it grew her skin, hair, blood, and other organic constructs and organs, and recharged her body, thus making her whole and reawakening her.

The crowd of robots was the largest ever assembled in the borough. It easily filled up the building and streamed out onto the platform. It seemed that every robot in theirmakeshift townhad taken the day off or had snuck away from their duties in order to watch the event. Kenichi guessed that the crowd was well over a hundred strong. Fifi was there of course, standing right by his side. The Albert I and Kyo III model were there as well, manning the controls of the capsule. Everyone was nervous, Kenichi most of all. They had repaired and reactivated robots before, but never anything as advanced as Tima, and they never had to use a regeneration capsule before either. But Tima was unique, the only one of her kind, and thus required special treatment.

The murmurs of the crowd grew quiet as the Kyo III model stepped forward and informed Kenichi that they were ready to begin. Kenichi nodded his approval, too nervous to respond verbally. The robot joined his Albert I counterpart at the controls, and proceeded with the start-up sequence.

As levers were pulled and buttons pushed, loud whirring and clicking noises began to emanate from the machine. The electric generator started upand was soon runningat full speed, its gauges showing that it was near its limits. Kenichi's heart went to a near stop and his mindwent numb as he gazed up at the angelic form of his best friend. The machines became ever louder and sparks began to fly from various junctions. An electrostatic charge suddenly formed across the capsule's chamber, and the liquids seemed to come to life as bolts of electrical current streamed through them.

The light became almost blinding, but Kenichi didn't dare look away as he watched Tima's body rapidly transform. Flesh formed around her mechanical parts, and was then covered by layers of white-pink skin so beautiful that it would have put a baby's to shame. Locks of golden yellow hair more radiant than the sun itself were cast out across the top of her head. Her color became more and more lively every second until her beauty matched that of an angel's.

The gauges then reached their critical marks. The robot controllers activated the emergency shutdown sequence. In an instant, several small explosions occurred, the generator began spewing out flames, and the plastic chamber shattered as highly charged liquid poured out across the floor. Tima's body disconnected from the wires and supports, and she fell to her knees.

Kenichi watched in a daze of numb horror, until alarms began ringing throughout his head and forced him to move. He rushed forward, ignoring the sparking equipment and electrified liquids, and hunched over Tima's shivering nude body. For a brief moment he stared as the seraph opened her cerulean eyes, gasped, and turned her head, returning his gaze. She then slumped to floor and promptly passed out. Sirens were now blaring in Kenichi's mind.

"GET HER TO MED LAB! _NOW!_"

Several of the larger robots, including Fifi, immediately moved forward and began transporting their comrade to the adjacent repair/maintenance warehouse, the rest of robot crowd instinctively parting for them. Kenichi stood silently, his body and mind sending him conflicting signals as to what he needed to do next. He violently shook his head, and ran after the others.

* * *

Only a few moments had passed since Tima had collapsed in the regeneration capsule, yet to Kenichi it seemed like an eternity. Tears streamed down his face as he crouched next to her body, which had been gently placed on top of a blanket-covered table. She was breathing steadily and she had a good pulse, but she simply wouldn't wake up! Kenichi's face was wet and flushed, and his mind was working overtime as a flurry of non-cohesive thoughts and fears filled his head. He was developing a massive headache, but wasn't even aware of it. Fifi was growing concerned that he was fast becoming physically sick, but knew better than to try and interfere at this point.

"Please, oh please wake up!" he whimpered, barley able to talk. "Please you have to wake up! You just have to!"

Several more minutes passed, and still no change. The robots stood anxiously nearby, murmuring worriedly.

"Please Tima, please! I'll do anything! Anything you want! I promise! Just please wake up! I don't know what I'll do if you don't wake up soon! Fight it Tima! Please! I can't live without you!" Kenichi abruptly grabbed hold of her and enveloped her body in a tight hug, crying into her shoulder. During the exchange, some his tears fell upon her cheeks. Feeling the wetness across her skin, Tima's eyes sharply snapped open, and then took on their normal caring glow of tenderness and curiosity. She lifted her head slightly to see Kenichi still bawling into her shoulder.

"Who are I?" she whispered softly.

Kenichi paused and slowly raised his head, refusing to open his eyes for a second, for fear he had been hallucinating. When they did open, he found himself gazing intothe bright blue orbs of her eyes, and he knew that really had heard her divine voice. He hugged her all the tighter, refusing to let go. "Oh Tima…" And Kenichi felt all the pieces finally fall into place as his world became complete and he began to slip away into pure bliss, all of his pent up emotions disappearing, as he slowly passed out, still hugging his beloved friend.

* * *

Well, what'd you think? I have other chapters. Should I post them or not? I should warn you that from here on out the little voices in my head took full control of the story…actually, now that I think about it, they pretty much wrote all of this too. Well Tasermon, my Digimon Partner, seemed to think it was good. Of course, he thinks just about everything I write is good. What about you? Let me know!


	3. Sleepless in Metropolis

AN: Here's chapter three! And it's a big one! Lots of emotional stuff too! This is where the romance really starts to sizzle! Oh yeah, like you didn't already know that they falling madly in love with each other! Anyway, I worked really hard on this one, so I hope it turns out okay. There's more speech in this chapter I think, but still a good amount of descriptive writing as well. It picks off right from the end of the previous chapter. Hope you like it! Oh, and Sleepless in Seattle was a 1993 romantic comedy directed by Nora Ephron that starred Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. It's also one of the few true 'chick flicks' that I actually like. But if you think that the city of Metropolis is anything like the great, clean, green, city of Seattle, then you've either never been there, or have a totally different sense of beauty than I do. Oh well, here's chapter three of Metropolis Heroes Rising: Sleepless in Metropolis!

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 3: Sleepless in Metropolis

Darkness. An utter lack of light. An utter lack of feeling. He was aware. He could think. But he couldn't sense anything. It was like he was awake, but he wasn't fully cognizant. Then, the darkness lifted. Blotches of soft, faded color flashed all around. A new, more dizzying sensation began to form. The colors began to change, grow, and solidify into a solid white screen. The sensation turned to one of utter unbearable pain. His brain felt as if it was pushing against the inside of his skull. His senses slowly returned, brought on by theextreme pressure buildinginside his head. He squeezed his eyelids tighter, trying to force back the light and the onslaught on pain that accompanied it.

"Kenichi! Kenichi! Kenichi wake up!"

That voice…that voice sounded…familiar…it meant something important.

"Wake up Kenichi! Please wake up!"

It came suddenly and it came on with full force. Kenichi bolted up, his eyes snapped open, and all of his senses and memories came to fruition in one sudden burst of raw andagonizing understanding as his consciousness became fully realized.

The pain shot through his body and his mind was suddenly filled with so many hot, stinging needles that he threatened to pass out instantly and plunge back into the sea of darkness. But Kenichi didn't care. He ignored the pain, he ignored his surroundings, he ignored everything except for the site before him. Tunnel vision set in and all everything became blurred and faded out from existence, everything except for the radiant force that beamed down upon him.

"Kenichi?"

And that force was attached to the most heavenly face that Kenichi had ever had the honor to lay his eyes on.

"Tima!..." his voice cracked, a bare whisper.

He jumped forward and embraced the long lost friend who was standing over him with all the strength he could muster. Tima's shoulder grew wet as Kenichi sobbed into it, his face melting into tears from a combination of overwhelming joy and agonizing physical pain. And after a brief moment ofshock, Tima wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back just as strongly. The two slowly slid to ground, still embracing, and gently swayed back and forth against each others bodies. After what seemed like an eternity of bliss, Kenici worked up the courage to open his watery eyes, draw back his thoroughly soaked body, and gaze into the divine façade of the angel who sat before him, who was still caught in his embrace.

"…Tima? Is it really…really you? Do..do you r-remember…remember me? Remember who…who you are?"

Tima returned his kind gaze with a warm smile and nodded slightly.

"I…I think so. You are Kenichi. I am…I am Tima?"

Kenichi couldn't tell whether it was a statement or a question. He didn't care, and responded anyway. "Yes, yes you are. Oh Tima, I'm so glad you're okay! I was so…so worried. I thought that you might…have forgotten."

Tima slowly shook her head, and the two embraced tightly once more. Time lost meaning and happiness stretched into infinity, and for once, all seemed right. Kenichi wondered just how he was ever going to be able to repay Tima and the other robots for making his life seem so worthwhile. Numb thoughts started to blur through his head, none of them having much cohesion, when Tima's divine voice abruptly broke through the fog.

"Um…Kenichi, should I be wearing clothes?"

Kenichi was jostled back to reality and swiftly leaped back, realizing that Tima had been totally nude the entire time he was holding her. His face turned bright red with embarrassment and he quickly averted his eyes and set about scanning the floor for something to give Tima that would act as a suitable covering. Fortunately, a full set of neatly folded, yet rugged, clothes were handed to him.

Kenichi looked up to see it was Fifi who had handed him the articles. Once again Fifi had proved his ability to think of every detail as he retrieved the clothes from his storage compartment. Kenichi was suddenly aware that Fifi had been standing beside them the whole time, observing the joyous episode that unfolded. The young human humbly took the clothes, reached behind him, and handed them to a thankful Tima, while still trying to avoid staring at her. When he felt the clothes being taken, he turned away and finally began taking note of his surroundings.

It dawned on him that he was in the medical lab/repair and maintenance warehouse, and his last few moments of consciousness came flooding back to him as he recalled sinking into darkness while draped over Tima's newly awakened body. He then noticed that Fifi wasn't the only onlooker. Many of the other robots were there too. They nearly filled the building, and Kenichi could see even more waiting outside through the entryway. The entire robotic population had been waiting for his return to consciousness.

Now that Kenichi was fully awake, Fifi proceeded to perform a physical inspection of him and began touching and poking his tear and fluid drenched body. The robot began to incessantly beep and boop with concern over his condition, but also expressed happiness over their family's reunification. Kenichi didn't pay much attention though. His mind was swirling with a hurricane of thoughts and emotions. And his body was now being incapacitated with a horrendous amount of pain. Evidently the excitement of reawaking his best friend, slipping into unconsciousness, and then waking up to an emotional reunion had taken its toll.

"Kenichi?"

But that still didn't keep him from turning around to face his newly clothed companion. Tima stood before him in what was an obviously oversized, long-sleeved, white shirt that was tucked into a pair of undersized khaki shorts. She was still soaked though, and the liquids caused her clothes to stick to the contours of her body,making Kenichi's jaw drop again as he stared at her.

"How do I look?" Kenichi continued to gape. "Kenichi? Do I look okay?...Kenichi?"

Fifi gave his human companion a not-so-gentle nudge. "Ow! Huh? Uh…oh! You look great Tima! Perfect!"

Tima blushed, and averted her gaze for a brief moment. When she turned back, she found Kenichi on the verge of tears again.

"Kenichi? What's wrong? Is it me?"

Kenichi whimpered, "No! No, of course not. You're just…it's just that…I can't believe that you're really here. I saw…I thought…I was just so afraid that I'd never see you again."

Kenichi wasn't the kind of person who cried a lot, even when things got emotional, but in the past few days he felt like he had cried more than he everhad in his entire life. He had lost his best friend for what he feared would be forever. Yet here she was, standing right in front of him in all her beauty. He couldn't help but try to cry again. But his tear ducts weren't accustomed to being used so frequently and with such intensity, and thus were beginning to dry up. But it didn't lessen the display of affection by any means.

"I _AM _back Kenichi! You brought me back, remember? You and Fifi and the others."

Kenichi overcame the physical pain that screamed throughout his entire body and stood up to hug Tima once more.

"Yes,...I…I just missed you so much! I'm so glad that you're back! I just…I'm so happy that you're back!"

They stayed in each other's embrace for several more minutes, until they finally broke apart and stood side by side, facing the crowd assembled before them. Kenichihad suddenly realized that they had been there the entire time, watching over them, and that all of them were definitely happy about their family's newest member. Kenichi knew that he would never have been able to bring back Tima without them. They were the only friends that he had…the only friends that he ever really needed…or wanted for that matter. He owed them all so much. They had ensured Tima's survival, not to mention his own, even when they didn't have to. He knew that he was forever in their debt. And, though he supposed that he had really known it all along, he was beginning to understand that he wouldn't stop until his debt had been repaid and the robots were safe from their oppressors. Standing in front of his mechanical family, whom he couldn't possibly ever hope to thank enough for their benevolent deeds, he did the only thing that he could think to do, and bowed deeply. Tima, standing by his side, immediately followed suit.

"Thank you…all of you. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be here now. We owe you everything and we will never forget what you have done for us."

The robots beeped, booped, and clicked happily in reply, expressing their own thanks towards Kenichi and Tima. Fifi stepped forward, a representative for his comrades, and spoke with great delight about the recent turn of events.

"Beep beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep boop! Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep beep beep bop boop beep!"

Kenichi and Tima both blushed and looked very embarrassed and humbled. After a brief pause, Kenichi spoke up. "Yes Fifi, we are a family once again…and I promise that it will remain that way from now on!"

And the robots cheered. Tima and Kenchi turned to each other, and joined together in rejoicing at the reunion of their family.

* * *

The celebration had lasted long into the night. Excitement and a new sense of hope had spread amongst the community now that Tima had returned. True, there were still many robots that needed to be repaired and reactivated, but now that they had reawakened Tima, anything seemed possible. They had no doubt that their family would only continue to grow and prosper in the days to come.

Tima and Kenichi were, of course, the center of the celebration, and never left each other's side for the entire duration of the party. They were constantly hugging and holding each other's hands. It was as if they feared breaking physical contact with each other,as ifdoing so would mean they become separated and never see each other again. They made it a point to personally thank each and every robot for the help they had given them.

Though Kenichi could tell Tima was overjoyed and very thankful towards everyone, he couldn't help but notice that she seemed a little…uneasy. But he shrugged it off to the fact that she had just been reactivated after months of being scattered in pieces across the great wreckage. All of this must have seemed like quite a shock to her. Sympathetic to her feelings, and because he was also exhausted since the physical pain he experienced that day was finally starting to take its toll, he opted to leave the festivities early, taking a grateful Tima with him.

Kenichi took her up to his abode, as it was probably the unit best suited to her needs, but mostly because he simply refused to part with her. Once there, he noticed two plates full of seemingly edible food waiting for them on the table. Kenichi found himself silently thanking the considerate and all-knowing Fifi yet again, wondering if there was ever anything the robot didn't think of in advance. Fifi himself had opted to stay at the party, probably realizing that he and Tima needed some time alone with each other.

Their meals were set at opposite ends of the table, but the two wordlessly and instinctively set them on the same side and moved their chairs next to each other. Kenichi chose to take the cardboard box, leaving the real chair for Tima. He wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible. They quickly dug in, rapidly devouring the provisions. Tima was special in the fact that, unlike robots, she could eat just as humans did. She could also sleep, grow, sweat, cry, express emotions, and even…ahem…excrete waste when she had too. She was a living, breathing, growing entity capable of doing everything that a human could…and more. It was these traits that made her so unique amongst all other living beings.

As they ate, Kenichi regaled his counterpart with tales of the adventures that had taken place while she had been deactivated. He told her of how his uncle had to go back to Tokyo, but he had stayed to help the robots rebuild. He told her of how he had found Fifi alive and well, and how they and the other robots had searched the wreckage looking for her components and had found the abandoned platform and made it their home. He told her how they had found Dr. Laughton's journal and used it as a guide to help repair her. He even told her of how, on rare occasions, he had been forced to take up temporary jobs working alongside other humans just so he could support himself and buy some of the rare parts needed to help rebuild her and the other robots.

Tima already knew some of what had been going on. She informed Kenichi that when he was out cold, which had apparently been for close to an hour, Fifi and the others had informed her of what had happened and where she was. The whole event came as quite a shock to her, to say the least, but her more immediate concern at that moment had been Kenichi's safety. She felt so relieved when he finally woke up. Despite reassurances from Fifi, she was afraid that he would stay asleep forever. Thankfully, all of that was over with now and she and Kenichi were finally together again.

Still, Kenichi couldn't help but notice that Tima seemed to become more distant the further into the conversation they got. Shrugging it off to fatigue, he decided the best thing for both of them would be to get a good night's rest. After finishing up their meals, Kenichi showed Tima the bedroom and how to operate the shower/lavatory. He then went back into the other room and waited patiently as she took a shower and got cleaned up. He couldn't explain it, but he had the sudden urge to glance through the doorway and see how she was doing, even though he knew she was okay…and in the nude. His cheeks flushed red at the thought, despite the fact that he had seen her fully exposed many times and had even hugged her earlier that day when she wasn't wearing anything at all. He continued to wait though, mustering up enough courage to avoid the temptations that his mind kept throwing at him.

Tima soon finished and switched places with him as he also tried to wash away the filth and grit that been acquired during the events of the day. When he was done, he called Tima back in and began setting up the blankets for her. Once they looked comfortable enough, he got up and began to walk back into the other room, intending to sleep on the table for the night. Tima, however, had other ideas and reached out, grabbing his arm. She tugged on it gently, urging him to lay down with her. Kenichi's face was starting to turn a permanent shade of red from all the blushing he was doing. Tima didn't want to be separated from him unless she had to, even if they were just one room apart. The blankets were big enough for the both of them, though just barley, and Kenichi wasn't about to refuse an offer to sleep beside his angel. Thus, he humbly accepted.

Even though they were both exhausted and could barley keep their eyes open, sleep was still a long time in coming. Each was afraid that if they went back into the bleak senselessness of slumber, they would wake up to find the other gone, or that the day's events had been nothing more than a cruel hallucination intended to tear their hopesapart. But after a while of laying with their backs up against each other and absorbing each other's warmth and essence, their fears subsided enough that exhaustion overtook them and total darkness soon followed.

But just before the bleak numbness completely clouded his mind, Kenichi found the strength and sense to whisper "Good night, Tima."

And Tima found the energy to return it. "Good-_yawn_-night…Kenichi."

Their movements and thoughts then became muted.

* * *

_The wreckage was falling. The city was collapsing in on itself. The robots were taking control and humanity was being exterminated. Dust and smoke were everywhere. The machine grabbed hold of her with its long, mechanical tentacles. She screamed. Her body wouldn't respond. The sinister voice took over. The sinister voice used her. It used her mind. It used her body. It commanded her to do things_..._ horrible things. It ordered the annihilation of all the organics…including the ones she thought were important…the ones she didn't want to go away…the ones she wanted to protect. She tried to fight back. It was useless. The voice was in control now. The robots rose and the tower fell. The missiles rose and the cities fell. The menacing and increasingly malevolent voice rose louder, and humankind fell further and further until it was gone. The voice then turned its rage on them. Kenichi fell. She fell. Everything and everyone fell…fell off of the Ziggurat and into the dark, unending oblivion below. And the voice laughed and sneered. And she cried. But there was no one left to hear her._

* * *

Kenichi awoke from his dreamless and near fever-induced sleep sharply and violently. His senses went on high alert instantly. He didn't know how much time had passed, though it was still dark out. He didn't really care. Something had awoken him from his pitiful excuse for sleep and set off sirens in his brain and shivers down his spine. It was a sound. The sound of crying.

Flipping over, he saw Tima scrunched up in the corner, her back against the wall, hugging her knees and trying to bury her head in her legs. Kenichi's heart plummeted. His response was immediate. He scurried over and enveloped her in his arms, wrapping his body around hers. He gently stroked her golden yellow hair nuzzled his cheek against her hers. He wanted the tears to stop. He had never seen her so upset. He tried his best to comfort and shelter her from whatever was disturbing her so much.

"Shhhh…it's okay." He whispered gently in her ear. "I'm here now. It's okay, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise." Tima sobbed into his shoulder, soaking his shirt. "It's okay." He repeated. "Just tell me what's wrong. I'll make it better, I promise! Just please stop crying…I hate it when you cry…please…let me help you."

He began to rock her gently back and forth, and after what seemed like a lifetime of painful waiting, her tears began to subside and her sobs began to fade. Kenichi continued to rock her and gently stroke her hair. He was racking his brains trying to figure out what had upset her and how he could eradicate it. Tima slowly calmed down, wrapped in Kenichi's embrace, until she stopped moving all together, and just laid up against him.

"Tima, what is it? You can tell me. What's wrong?"

"……..I-I had…I saw-_sniff_-stuff when I was asleep. Bad things. Horrible things. I-_sniff_-didn't like it at all. I saw-_sniff_-you…and…falling...and…" she started sobbing into his shoulder again.

"Shhh…hey there…it's okay. You were just having a nightmare, that's all. It wasn't real. I'm right here, aren't I? I'm real. And I'm not going anywhere, I promise. The stuff that happens in nightmares isn't real, it can't really hurt you or me or anybody else."

Tima took comfort in his words, and was just thankful that the images in her nightmare weren't real. Kenichi kept holding her, whispering words of assurance and security. He didn't know precisely how Tima's mind functioned, or how she was capable of conjuring up such vivid illusions of despair, but heknew that it wasn't very fair. Why was it that such an innocent and pure being had to endure such abuse from her own dreams? If only he understood how her programming had interacted to cause such nightmares, then he could fix the problem and ensure that she could rest peacefully. But some parts of Tima's programming had simply evolved beyond his, or anyone else's, capacity to understand. And Kenichi felt that this was probably one of them.

"Kenichi?" she whispered.

"Yes, Tima?"

"Do…do you hate me?"

"What!" asked Kenichi in shock.

"Do you hate me?" The question wasn't rhetorical. It was a real question that Tima wanted an answer to. That was what stunned Kenichi the most.

"……..Hate you?" he whispered. "How…how could I ever hate you? Tima, you're…you're kind and caring and innocent and…and perfect in every way! You're the best friend I've ever had. Why…would I hate you?"

"Because I remember now Kenichi…the nightmare…made me remember everything."

"…Was it something I did or…or something I said? Whatever it was, please believe me, I don't hate you at all. And if I did anything to make you think that I-"

"It wasn't you!" she began weeping again. "You…you tried to save me, tried to save everyone! And I tried…to destroy it! I tried to destroy you! How can you not hate me?"

Now it was all making sense. The nightmare and why she seemed so distant earlier…Tima was feeling guilty because she thought she was the reason the Ziggurat collapsed. She had remembered how the viral programming had fought against him and tried to wipe out humankind. She was blaming herself even though it wasn't her fault at all.

"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't control it. The rogue program took control of you. You aren't to blame. Nobody condemns you for it, especially not me. It was all that stupid Duke Red's fault. You had nothing to do with it! They just used you like some sort of tool and it backfired on them. But you couldn't have known what was going to happen and it wasn't your fault that it did."

"But I tried…I hurt you, even after you tried to help me, I hurt you."

"It wasn't you. They were manipulating you. I know that you would never really try to hurt me. We're friends. That's…that's why I never gave up on you. That's why I tried to bring you back…I just wanted the real you. I wanted to see my friend again."

There was a long silence as Tima contemplated his words, then, "Kenichi…earlier…when you said that I…that I was a part of the family, did you really mean that?"

"Of course I did. You're one of us Tima. You are a part of us and a part of me…and I could never hate you…never."

Tima felt much better. She thought for sure that Kenichi would hate her. She couldn't understand why he had brought her back, why he and the others were being so nice to her. Now she did. Nobody cared about what had happened inside the Ziggurat. She was a part of their family now. She had a home, a place where she belonged. And best of all, she had Kenichi. But just when everything seemed like it might be alright again, another disturbing thought crossed her mind.

"But Kenichi, what if it happens again? What if something is wrong with me and I try to hurt you or Fifi or one of the others?"

"Don't worry…" he assured her. "It won't. We made some modifications to you while you were asleep. There are blocks in place now that will prevent anyone from using you like that again. You have full control over all of your defenses and you, and only you, can determine how you want to use them. And I promise you I'll never let anyone hurt you like that again."

This prompted another question. "Kenichi, I'm not…human…are I?"

"…No, no you're not…you are something even better. You are unique. Part of you is robot, but a lot of you is also human. You have the best aspects of both robots and humans. That's what makes you special. It helps make you who you are and I like you the way you are. If you were any other way, I don't know if things would be the same."

"Then it does not matter to you that I'm not completely human?"

"No, it doesn't. I don't care about that. The only thing I care about is you, the real you, the way you are now. I don't care whether you're human or not…as far as I'm concerned you're far more human than most of the 'real' humans I've ever met."

Tima smiled and her worries began to subside. She felt safe now. Safe because she knew that Kenichi didn't blame her. Safe simply because Kenichi was with her and would protect her and comfort her whenever she needed it.

"Then…can I stay here Kenichi? Can I stay here with you and the others?"

Kenichi leaned down a gently kissed her forehead. "You can stay here as long as you want Tima. We're a family now, and you are always, _always_ welcome to stay with us."

Tima felt reassured by his words, but was actually far more focused on the kiss he had just given her. She didn't know what it was exactly, but she was sure it meant that Kenichi wanted her stay and that he liked being with her. The action had sent warm shivers down her spine and caused strange vibrations in her stomach. Her heart rate was also increasing, and she could feel it beating hard against her chest. But the sensations didn't cause any pain. Quite the opposite in fact. It felt like pure ecstasy, like she was truly a part of him, and she never wanted the feeling to go away.

Acting on instinct, she mimicked his actions and brought her lips up against his cheek and kissed him. The feelings within her only intensified as a strong sense of warmth and belonging overcame her. She wanted it to last forever, but felt compelled to let go after a moment and gauge Kenichi's reaction. Was what she just did okay? Would Kenichi approve? Was it really what she thought it was and did it really mean what she thought it meant? The look on Kenichi's face told her everything and that, yes, she was indeed very correct. Kenichi seemed to be frozen in the moment, his entire face glowing bright beet red. The goofy grin only enhanced the effect. Tima suddenly felt very proud of herself, knowing that she had made Kenichi feel the same way he had made her feel.

"Thank you Kenichi. Thank you for everything. I feel much better now that I'm with you." she whispered. Instinctively, she cuddled up against the warmth of his body and laid her head against his chest.

"Anything for you Tima." he whispered back. He slowly began rocking her once again, his hand still stroking her hair. And the two laid together wrapped in each other's bodies. Kenichi briefly freed one hand and reached over for one the blankets, picked it up, and draped it over them. The new sleeping arrangements were definitely better than the previous ones. The two adjusted their positions to fit each other's contours and share their bodily warmth. Tima, now void of all fears and doubts and using Kenichi's chest as a very comfy pillow, and the rest of his body as an equally comfy bed, fell back into the darkness of sleep. Kenichi soon followed. And this time, their dreams were filled with pleasure and overwhelming elation…and fantasies about the loved one that they were cuddled up with.

* * *

Okay, so whadya think? I really hope the characters don't seem too OOC. Like my previous chapters, I left it so that the story could end here if I wanted it to, but I do have ideas in mind for upcoming chapters. If you have any, I'd love to hear them. So would Tasermon for that matter. So please respond if you have any thoughts and/or comments. Tas, and me also too, look forward to reading them. Thanks bunches!


	4. All You Need is Love

AN: Well, here's chapter four. A little bit more dialogue in this one, and extra heavy on the romantic fluffiness and the emotional stuff. What can I say? I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. Don't worry, there's nothing explicitly sexual…yet. But there might be in later chapters. And there will be lots more action/adventure in the next chapter! I just really hope that my characters don't seem to OOC. Or that this situation seems to far-fetched. When I think up this stuff in my head it seems to all make sense, but trying to write it all down is somewhat different. Tell me what you think about that. And "All You Need Is Love" is a song written by one of my most favorite British bands, the Beattles! It's also a movie directed by Julie Taymor that came out in 2006. Oh, and whoever guesses the popular old-school-age rhyming song that Fifi sings might just get some plushies!

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 4: All You Need Is Love

Light penetrated through the darkness, though the amount and intensity of said light was just barely enough to bathe the room in a light orange hue. But it was sufficient to outline the mass of two figures, intertwined in each others' arms and draped together in an ordinary brown blanket. And just as the light pierced through the darkness of the room, it also pierced the dream-filled darkness shrouding the young boy's mind. Kenichi gradually awoke, opening his sleep-laden eyes and focusing on his surroundings, the most important aspect of which was the angelic being cuddled up against him, using his chest as a comfortable pillow.

Kenichi had to wonder for a brief moment if he still wasn't inhabiting the realm of the dreamscape and his senses were trying to fool him into thinking that his blissful reality was nothing more than a sleep-induced simulation. But even if it was, he really didn't care just as long as he never woke up from it. He was still thankful however, when his mind was entirely cleared of its sleepy haze andthe veracity of his situation was authenticated.

His first reaction was to once again thank the ones watching over them for returning his friend to him unharmed, and silently pledge his allegiance and loyalty to them as a gesture of his gratitude. His second reaction was to lift up his hand, slowly, so as not disturb the still sleeping cherub, and gently stroke her golden yellow hair. This only seemed to elicit an even greater sense of calm from the resting one, as she snuggled closer to him and gave a sigh of pleasure at his actions. As he continued to gently pet her, he couldn't help but lean his face down slightly and take in the sweet aroma of her hair. He leaned in further still until his nose was buried in her golden locks, and inhaled deeply, breathing in her essence. When he finally withdrew, he looked down to see her glowing azure eyes staring back up at him, and a small, yet immensely radiant smile spreading across her face. The blush that had formed on his cheeks was equally as radiant.

"I'm sorry Tima, I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered softly.

"It's okay Kenichi, I liked what you were doing. It felt…good."

Tima then placed her head back up against Kenichi's chest as he resumed his actions and softly weaved his hand through her hair, while using his other hand the hold her closer to him. Tima gladly complied, and responded by doing a little petting of her own as she mimicked his movements and rubbed his chest soothingly. Kenichi's face turned several shades redder.

"Kenichi?"

"Yes, Tima?"

"Can I stay here with you from now on?"

"Of course! I told you last night, you can stay here as long as you want. We're your family now…unless, you want to go someplace else. I mean, I know it's not very comfortable and there's not much-"

"No," she interrupted him. "I mean can I stay here, in this residence, with you? I…I want to live here with you."

Kenichi's stomach was rioting with butterflies. "Yes!" He blurted out. "Uh…I mean, if that's what you really want."

Tima giggled and nodded her head affirmatively. "Kenichi, can we sleep like this from now on? I like it a lot more than sleeping alone…I might see more bad things if I sleep alone again, and I don't like it."

Kenichi felt as if his body temperature had just tripled. Tima's continued petting of his chest only amplified the effect. He had to take a moment to get his breathing, not to mention his hormones, under control before he responded.

"If it would make you feel more comfortable to…sleep-_gulp_- with me." Tima nodded. "Okay then, you get to sleep next to me from now on, agreed?"

Tima nodded again, and her smile brightened. "Thank you Kenichi."

"Anything for you Tima." he whispered.

She gazed up at him again and, driven by some unknown force in her programming, leaned upward to kiss him like she had during the night. Only this time, her lips met his as the two shared their first real kiss. To say that Kenichi was in a state of total shock, not to mention absolute bliss, would have been the ultimate understatement. Yet he immediately returned her act of passion in kind and cupped her face in hands, forcing her to deepen the kiss as their lips met and sparks flew between their bodies. Fireworks lit up the sky in the heads of the young lovers and a chorus of heavenly voices seemed to reign down as they tingledfrom the pleasure of having their lips interlocked and theirbodies pressed against each other. Kenichi's hair stood on end and all of his nerves were screaming in a mix of joy and excitement. He couldn't believe how wonderful it felt, or how great Tima's mouth tasted. He had never kissed a girl before, but he had secretly wanted to kiss Tima almost since he had first met her. Now his dreams were coming true.

The kiss was soft and gentle at first, but quickly escalated as Tima grabbed onto Kenichi's shoulders and pulled him into a tighter embrace. Kenichi responded by placing his hands on her back and pushing her body up against his. The kiss became firmer and deeper as their lips smashed up against each other and their tongues began to instinctively probe each others' mouths. Their foreheads touched and the two gazed into each others' eyes, reeling in the sensation of happiness that was apparent in the reflection of their partners' orbs. They continued until they felt so dizzy that they were near the point of passing out. The kiss softened and the two were forced to part as they came up for air. Tima breathed deeply and collapsed against Kenichi's body, resting her head against his shoulder.

When the two had finally regained their breath, a brief moment of silence ensued as each gauged the others' reaction to what had just transpired. Their faces turned a deep shade of tomato red before they both burst into a fit of giggles. They weren't entirely sure what they were laughing at. It could have been the looks they saw on each others' faces or the excitement over their first real kiss, or itcould have justbeen the ridiculousness and spontaneity of the entire situation. One thing was for sure…both had enjoyed the event immensely and both of them loved the sound of the other giggling about it. When the chuckling had finally died down, Kenichi wrapped his arms aroundTima as she settled against his body.

She sighed contently. "Kenichi?" she whispered.

"Um, yes Tima?" Kenichi was very stoked, but also slightly nervous about whether he had done the right thing, and about what Tima's ultimate reaction to the situation would be.

"Wha-What did we just do?" she asked almost breathlessly.

Kenichi fidgeted slightly. "That…it…it was called a kiss. We kissed Tima."

"I…I liked it. I really liked it a lot. It made me feel…good. Really good. And tingly all over."

"Yeah," chuckled Kenichi. "me too."

She was silent, as if in thought for a brief moment, and then, "So you liked it too? And you don't mind that we…k-kissed? That I kissed you?"

Kenichi stiffened somewhat. "Did _you_ mind? I mean…was it okay with you? You're not upset or angr-"

"No, I'm not." she said, interrupting him. "I'm not upset at all. It was very…nice. I enjoyed it. I like it when you do things like that to me Kenichi. I like being around you and when you hold me and when you…kiss me. I feel…warm and…safe, because it's you that's doing it. Nobody else has ever tried to do that…they all just wanted me for…other things…to do things for them that I didn't understand and didn't want to do. But you don't Kenichi. Even after I tried to harm you…you still don't."

Kenichi's heart shattered. He embraced Tima tighter and gently nuzzled her neck. He also silently cursed everyone that had ever tried to abuse and manipulate his innocent angel against her will…even though most of those people were now dead. Tima purred softly as Kenichi continued nuzzling her.

"Like that…" she whispered softly. "That makes me feel good too. You make me feel good." A quiet moment ensued. Then, Tima repeated her original question. "Did you like the…kiss?"

Kenichi nodded and momentarily broke off his nuzzling to bring his face close to Tima's, gazing into her eyes and softly rubbing his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. "Yes Tima…I did. I enjoyed it…more than anything I've ever done before." Tima blushed. "And…and I enjoy you too." Tima's blush deepened. "What I mean is…I like being around you too. When you're with me I feel happy and warm inside. And I like it when you…when you…touch me and…our bodies…I like it when we do…things together…especially when we kiss…like we just did. Tima…I…I …love you." Tima's entire face turned bright red. "I love being with you. I think I've loved you ever since we first met…ever since I first saved you… and you saved me. When I…when I couldn't find you…when you weren't there, it…it broke me. It wasn't the same. Nothing was the same. I just didn't…feel right. I wanted you there beside me…holding me. I love you Tima and I…I don't want you to go away ever again!"

Tima cried softly. Though she thought that she shouldn't. Whenever she had cried before it was usually because something bad had happened…something that she didn't like. But this time it felt different. She cried because she felt good, not because she felt bad. She cried because she felt needed and because Kenichi had said that he loved her.

"I…I love you too Kenichi." She whispered softly, and gazed through her teary eyes up at his smiling face. "And I want to be with you too. I want to be next to you and hold you. And…and I don't want to ever leave…ever. I don't want you to leave either…not without me."

Kenichi's heart was beating like crazy. He had finally confessed his true feelings to the one he loved, blurting it out because he just couldn't stand the intensity of his emotions anymore…and she had responded in kind…by telling him that she loved him too. It was still early morning, but as far as Kenichi concerned, this was the best day of his life. No matter what else happened, just as long as Tima was safe and continued to love him, then nothing could spoil it. He moved his hand from around Tima's waist and brought it up to her face, gently wiping away her tears and reassuring her of his feelings. She mimicked his actions, bringing her hand to his face and gently wiping his tear-stained cheeks. It was then that he realized that he had been crying too. He leaned down and softly kissed her forehead.

"Kenichi…I…I love you and I don't want to bealone again. I want to be with you from now on. Please Kenichi…don't leave me."

He kissed her forehead again. "I promise I won't leave you. You'll be safe from now on…safe with me. I love you so much. I've never loved anyone as much…as much as I love you. Promise that you'll stay with me and…stay beside me?"

She nodded. "Yes, I promise. I'll do anything…anything if it means that you won't ever leave me alone."

This time, he nuzzled her neck and whispered into her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her body. "Don't worry, I won't ever leave. I promise. That's what love means…it means I'll always be there for you."

They stayed like that for a while, locked in each others' embrace and exploring their new emotions for each other. They nuzzled one another and ran their hands through each others' hair and rubbed and hugged and explored each other, while immersing themselves in the love and warmth that emanated from their bodies. This eventually led to a position similar to their original one, with Tima leaning up against Kenichi, her head lying against his upper chest as the two cuddled together. Kenichi's arms were around Tima, hugging her tightly against his body. Tima gently rubbed Kenichi's chest as he nuzzled her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. Now that they had admitted their feelings for each other and all of their emotional obstacles had been removed, all traces of anxiety and nervousness seemed to have disappeared. The two were completely comfortable in each others' company…more than that; they craved each others' company…and each others' touch.

Tima was slightly confused at the entire situation, though so was Kenichi. She had never been loved by anybody in her whole life except for Kenichi. True, she was technically just a few months old, and Kenichi had been the first, and one of the only, people she had ever met, but almost everyone else she did meet had wanted to harm her. And nobody had protected her or shown her the kindness that Kenichi did. She still wasn't entirely sure what their love meant, but she had a pretty good idea. Unbeknownst to her, she actually had a greater understanding of the concept than most adult humans did. The most important thing was that it meant that she and Kenichi cared for one another and that they wouldn't separate and be alone again. And if that was what love was, then she was more than willing to accept it…and return it in force.

"Kenichi?" she whispered.

"Yes?" he answered, his voice slightly muffled since his face was still buried in her golden blond hair.

"I…think that I like love. It makes me feel good all over. And when you told me that you loved me, it made me feel really, really, good. I'm glad that we love each other Kenichi, and that we're together now."

"I'm glad too Tima. I love you so much and I had wanted to tell you for so long. When you finally came back I was so happy that we could be together again. But I was afraid that you go away again…or that you wouldn't want me."

Tima gasped. "Why! Why wouldn't I want you Kenichi? You're the only one I want! You were the only one that ever…loved me. You were the one that saved me." She grabbed his arms and wrapped them tighter around her, using his body as a security blanket. "I _DO_ want you Kenichi! I…I…don't want to be alone and I don't want you to be alone again either. We're together now…right?"

"Right!"

"And we're not going to leave each other, right?'

"Right!"

"And we love each other, right?"

"Double right!"

Tima smirked as a wicked thought entered her head. "And you're going to do the kiss with me again, right?"

"Ri-hey!" shouted Kenichi as Tima giggled.

Kenichi sought revenge by giving her exactly what she wanted. He leaned down as she moved her lips to his once again, each of them bracing for the ecstasy of emotions that was to follow.

"Beep beep beep! Beeep beep beep bop boop beep, beep beep beep bop!"

That was until Fif had rushed, unannounced, into the room, forcing the two lovers to separate just as their lips were about to meet. Tima and Kenichi parted quickly, both of their faces flushed red in embarrassment at the prospect of almost getting caught during a very private and intimate moment.

"Fifi! What are you doing here! It's still early morning! Haven't you ever heard of knocking!" yelled Kenichi, who in his haste to cover up his and Tima's actions, had apparently missed Fifi's explanation of his presence, which he had stated upon entering the residence.

"Beep beep beep bep bep beep beeep beep bop bop beep! Beep beep beep beep bop! Beep beep beep beep beeep boop boop beep beep beep bop. Beep beep beep…beep beep beep bop?" Fifi communicated, explaining that he had come to check up on them and make sure that they were okay.

He had also brought some breakfast, knowing that they would be hungry, and wanted Kenichi to know that some of the other robots wanted him to examine the damage done to the regeneration capsule. He also told Kenichi that he had not ever heard of knocking since he was the only human he had ever spent any time with and that he had never asked that he knock before entering. Kenichi nearly slapped himself on the forehead for that one. Fifi, taking note of the situation before him and the weird looks that resided on Kenichi and Tima's faces, then proceeded to ask him what it was that_ he_ had just been doing.

"None of your business! And from now on knock on the doorframe before you come in here!"

Tima, who like Kenichi also had an intimate knowledge of robotic lingo, couldn't help but laugh at the exchange.

"Beep beep beep? Beep beep beep bop. Beep bop boop boop bop beep?"

"What! We were not!"

"Beep bop."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Beeep beep beep beep bop. Beeep beep. Beep beep bop beep beep bepp, bep-beep-bop-bop-beep-beep-beeeep! Beep beep boop, beep beep beep, beep beep bop beep bop bop!"

Tima laughed even harder, even though she didn't quite understand Fifi's rhyming joke. It was funny just to see the look on Kenichi's face as he stared agape at his robotic companion, his face turning red from embarrassment and harmless vexing. She watched as the young human continued to argue with the large robot. She then sighed happily, finally assured of her place in the world, which was to be here with her family, standing by Kenichi's side, not only as his friend, but now as his lover as well.

* * *

Well, whatdya think? Was it romantic and fluffy enough? Did the characters seem too OOC? I really hope not. Does this situation even seem realistic, for Metropolis I mean? Arrg…I need some support here! Do you think this is good! Tasermon thinks it good, but he thinks everything I write is good. I could write a story about how killer bunnies invade a nursing home and chop all of the old people up with flaming chainsaws and Tasermon would still probably think that it was good. Hey…that gives me an idea… I wonder if the hardware store is still open? On second thought, nah, just forget about it. I don't want blood stains on my new uniform. Like the previous chapters, I tried not to end it with too much of a cliffhanger, so the story can stand by itself if I don't add anything else, or if you decide to stop reading it. Anyway, review if you like to, and don't forget, if you guess Fifi's rhyme, you might get plushies! And if you don't…you still might get plushies! Either that or flaming chainsaw wielding bunnies…I haven't decided which yet. Guess I better go ask Tasermon.


	5. Around the Atlas in 80 Days

AN: HOORAY! I got reviews! People liked it, they really liked it! Oh, thank you! ! I'd like to say how grateful I am to Michael Bulaich, kai in training, and Blueice anime gurl and to everybody/anybody else that reviewed and/or read the story. Thanks for keeping up with it; it really means a lot to me. I know that there aren't many Metropolis fanfics out there…even less so of ones focusing on Tima and Kenichi. Thus, I'll try to keep this one running as long as possible. I really love this pairing! This particular chapter is long…_really, really, really, _long! The longest chapter yet! I seriously considered breaking it up into two or three separate chapters, but it just didn't seem to…click when I did that. Hopefully, it's long enough to keep you satisfied until I eventually post the next chapter. Plus, I really didn't want to end any of my chapters with dramatic cliffhangers just yet. That said, this chapter really starts to delve into the storyline. And though the chapter itself can stand alone, well, kind of, from here on out the story can no longer be considered as one massive one-shot-like-thingy. So, if you don't like where it is going, then just stick to the first four chappies, okay? This chapter also has more action, but there are still some fluffy scenes. There are also some new faces, as well as some old ones, as the chapter title suggests. Please ignore any spelling or grammatical errors. And by the way, "Around the World in 80 days" (upon which the chapter title is based), is a popular book (by one of my favorite authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), that has been translated into multiple plays, movies, cartoon shows, parodies, merchandise, etc. But I've rambled on far too long. So here is chapter five of Metropolis Heroes Rising! Oh, and the rhyme that Fifi was singing in the last chapter was the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song. Plushies for everyone! (Tasermon recommended holding off on the flaming chainsaw wielding bunnies! He he!)

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 5: Around the Atlas in 80 Days

The tunnel was dark and cold, not to mention the undesirable smell. Kenichi's nose twitched slightly as he gazed around the corner and into the dimly lit chamber beyond. The brick walls of the tunnel were lined with a thin layer of a green sludge-like substance that felt surprisingly gritty to the touch. He was glad that he had decided to wear his brown gloves. After living in the Metropolis underworld for so long, he had grown accustomed to most of the accompanying stenches…or so he had thought. But this tunnel was starting to seriously challenge that resolve. Though whether the smell came from the gritty sludge or the small mounds of trash that were piled against the walls, he couldn't really tell. He just hoped Tima was okay with all of this.

He glanced back at his female companion, whose outline was lit up by the light coming through the other end of the tunnel. Her nose also twitched, showing that she too had distaste for the barrage of stimuli facing her olfactory senses. But when she noticed that Kenichi was observing her, she decided to bear it and put on a small reassuring smile. Kenichi returned the smile with one of his own.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late to go back, you know." He whispered.

"Hmm-Mmm," she nodded, "I'm sure. Besides, we need the supplies."

She then took a small breath and placed the hood of her cloak over her head. The cloak she was wearing was a dark faded blue and flowed down the length of her body to her knees. Underneath it, she was wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt and tan shorts, but they couldn't be seen under the cloak. Kenichi had also gone with dark attire, wearing a torn dark blue jacket and faded black pants. Normally the duo would have preferred to wear something a little more colorful…and clean. But their clothing options were limited and they had to dress appropriately for this mission.

Shortly after Tima had awakened, the need for additional supplies became apparent. Many of the tools used during the reconstruction process had broken down and Kenichi had insisted on finding replacements, just in case something went wrong again. Plus, the emergency power generator had been declared completely beyond repair by the robots. They had constructed a new one just in case an emergency arose, but it was shabby and they didn't know how well or how long it would hold up if they really needed it. The suggested finding a working replacement as soon as possible.

Then there was the issue of food. It had already been in short supply to begin with and now that Tima was with them there were two mouths to feed instead of one. Not that Kenichi minded, he just wanted Tima to have enough to eat. Also, he had begun to feel very…guilty over the fact that their food supply wasn't exactly a chef's delight. Sure, it was edible…most of the time, and that had been fine with him, especially when he had put all of his energy into helping Tima, but now he wanted something more. He wanted to give Tima some real food, not just the fare they found lying around the garbage. She deserved better than that.

But in order to get the supplies that they needed they had to visit one of the more populated areas of the underground city. Very few markets or malls survived the collapse, and this one was the largest one left intact, which meant it was the most likely to have what they needed. Unfortunately, that also made it one of the most dangerous places to visit because it was very popular and crowded and had a lot of security.

Hardly any of the humans still living in the city knew who they were or of their role in the great collapse, but they had decided not to take any chances and dress as inconspicuously as possible. The hood covered much of Tima's face in a dark shadow and made her unrecognizable to anybody unless they got very close. And the only person she was going to allow to get close to her was Kenichi.

He took one last look over her. Though he preferred her regular, more colorful, garments, he had to admit that even with her cloak on, she looked quite attractive. Then again, he probably thought that she would look attractive no matter what she wore…or didn't wear.

His face suddenly turned bright pink, and he had took shake it slightly in order to keep his embarrassment from showing. Tima gave him a perplexed look. He merely responded with a goofy grin.

"Ready?"

She gave another quick nod of acknowledgement.

"Good." He leaned forward, and gave her a quick peck on her cheek.

Now it was her turn to glow bright pink, which delighted Kenichi to no end. He took the hood of his jacket and draped it over his head, hiding his face like Tima had hidden hers. He glanced over at his friend, and noticed she was still frozen from the kiss he had given her.

"Come on," he giggled, and took her hand, heading out of the tunnel. "Let's go!"

* * *

The market was quite massive, taking up several acres of space with tents, stands, and shabbily constructed shops and restaurants that seemed to sell everything imaginable…most of it used or left over from the surface world. People of all shapes and sizes, some of notably shady character, were busy haggling and arguing over the value of the assorted goods. There were security guards, both with and without uniforms, scattered along the market's perimeter and throughout the market itself, preventing any major disturbances from occurring.

However, there was a distinct lack of robots. Because of the great robot uprising just before the collapse, robots were now forbidden from entering the residential and market areas without a special permit, and even then they were usually under a human escort. There were also rumors that many robots, especially on the surface level, were being pulled randomly from their assignments and checked fro any "unusual or unauthorized" programming in their personality matrixes. Luckily, none of the robots he and Tima knew were subject to such searches…yet. And since Tima appeared completely human, at least on the outside, she could enter the market without raising suspicion. Still, they had to be careful.

Kenichi had serious doubts about bringing Tima with him on this mission. If she got hurt or found out, he knew that he would never be able to forgive himself. He was her partner now, and she relied on him to keep her safe. But likewise, he now relied on her too and she had insisted on coming with him in case he somehow got into trouble. She was now armed with her newly installed self-defense programming, and though it had originally been intended just to protect her if she felt threatened, she had quickly modified it so that it would activate if Kenichi or any of her robotic brethren were in danger of being harmed.

She hadn't needed to activate the defense programming yet, and they hoped they wouldn't ever have to use it, but it was somewhat reassuring to know she could protect herself if she had to. But perhaps the most important reason behind her coming along was that Kenichi had promised her that he would never leave her alone. And Kenichi just couldn't say no to her. So when she had asked him to come along on the mission all she had to do was give him a cute little pouty face, and that had settled it. She had learned that making a pouty face got Kenichi to do pretty much anything she wanted him to. Not that he didn't already do everything she wanted to anyway.

Once they passed the first line of security personnel, they stopped to look around at where they should go first. Kenichi pointed at one shop that seemed to have a lot of mechanical and electronic parts.

"Let's try that one first."

Tima nodded and the two, still hand in hand, walked up the untidy construct.

* * *

Several hours later it was approaching midday, or at least what passed for midday in the underground, and Kenichi, who had noticed that both of their stomachs had started to make gurgling noises, decided that they should stop for some food. There were several restaurants near the center of the market, and Kenichi let Tima pick which one they should go to. After a moment's hesitation, she picked a small restaurant with a bar in the front that advertised itself as serving Asian cuisine. They walked up to the small bar, which was currently vacant, and sat down next to each other on the provided barstools. Kenichi ordered first, choosing a bowl of noodles and a glass of water.

"Do you want that clean or dirty?" asked the gruff and heavy looking man behind the bar.

"Huh?" responded Kenichi, perplexed.

"I said, do you want your water clean or dirty?" he asked a little louder, pointing to two glasses of water set up on a display behind him. One glass was filled with relatively clean and clear water, while the other glass was filled with water that had a distinct light brown coloring to it. Kenichi gave the dirty water a nauseated look.

"I'll have the clean please."

"You sure? It costs extra, you know."

Kenichi nodded. Though he didn't have much in the way of funds, he didn't mind spending extra if it meant they got to drink some clean water. Fortunately, they didn't have this problem back at their home with the robots. The pipes there had clean water, since they supplied the surface level residents. The people on the surface would have probably have balked outright if they had to drink the kind of water most of the people down here were forced to consume. Luckily, this particular restaurant seemed to have a filter for its water system. But it came with an additional charge, of course. Tima, who still didn't have much experience in the way of what foods she should and shouldn't consume, followed Kenichi's example and ordered a bowl of noodles and a glass of water.

"And I suppose you want it clean too, eh?"

She looked to Kenichi for confirmation. He gave a small nod. She turned back to the man behind the counter.

"Yes please."

The man grumbled at the request, even though he was being compensated with the additional charge for doing it, and set about filtering out two glasses of water and preparing two bowls of noodles.

Kenichi turned around on his barstool and looked at everything that they had acquired thus far. It was actually a good amount of supplies. In the few hours that they had been searching, they found several of the robotic parts and computer systems that they needed and they had gotten them at fairly reasonable trades with minimal haggling. Kenichi had learned that he could knock down the price on some items if they offered to help out around the shops, most often with cleaning and organizing things, and by doing other simple chores for just a few hours. They did have some money, but they needed to save as much of it as possible for the items that were too important to haggle over.

Most of the money they had came from Kenichi's uncle, Shunsaku Ban, who lived in Japan and still had a job as a detective. Every time he got paid, he would send as much of his spare money to Kenichi as he could afford to. This was an act that Kenichi did not take for granted, since he knew how important that money was to their operations in Metropolis…and how much his uncle was sacrificing to help them out. To help lighten the burden, Kenichi had spent some of his spare time, which admittedly was in short supply, doing part-time jobs for some of the underground residents, who would pay him for his deeds. None of the jobs were particularly dirty or underhanded, but Kenichi didn't like spending time away from his robotic family, and he had to keep a low profile so that nobody would find out what his funds were really being used for. Though it was true that there was a small, a _very, very, _small, number of people who were either indifferent or sympathetic to the robots' cause, most of the residents weren't. And he knew that they would think very differently about him if they knew where his true loyalties lied.

A short time later, he and Tima were presented with their meals. He was actually quite impressed. The noodles were quite good, especially by the underground's standards, and the water was clean and free of any foul taste or smell. He hungrily devoured the noodles with his chopsticks and Tima mimicked his actions, not stopping until her bowl was completely empty. Kenichi took notice of her apparent fondness for the cuisine.

"Did you like it?"

"Hmm-Mmm," she responded. "Yes, it was very…tasty. It felt weird to eat though. It felt like I was eating a bunch of wet…squiggly…things." Her face flushed at trying to describe the sensation that she had felt in words.

"Would you like any more?"

She shook her head. "Not currently. I do not believe that I require anymore for the time being."

Kenichi noticed that the owner of the restaurant was giving him and his girlfriend a weird look. Probably because the man was eavesdropping and was confused by the speech patterns she was presently using. They had been cautious about such things, which was one of the reasons why she was often hesitant to speak in front of humans…except Kenichi, of course. But the owner seemed to shrug it off, so Kenichi ignored him.

"Do you think you would like any later then? Would you like to eat some more noodles later, I mean? We're starting to run low on our food supplies and we need to get some new ones. Would you like it if we got some noodles that we could eat back at home?"

She nodded. "Yes, please, Kenichi. They tasted very good and I think I would like some to consume later."

He turned back to the restaurateur.

"Can we have some more noodles please? And can you package them for travel?"

"Okay, but it'll cost you. No free refills." He pointed to a cardboard sign hanging on the wall beside him that said as much.

"That's okay; we just need the food for later." Responded Kenichi.

"How much you want?"

Kenichi slipped some money onto the bar. "As much as this can get us."

The man's eyes grew visibly wider. "Yes sir!" he snapped respectfully and immediately began pouring noodles into a large travel container.

Tima gave Kenichi an odd, questioning look. She didn't understand the man's sudden change in behavior, which was due to the amount of money Kenichi was paying him. Kenichi just shrugged off the man's actions. He knew Tima didn't care about stuff like money and also had trouble understanding why others did care so much about it. Frankly, he preferred it that way. Tima knew what was really important, and that was all that mattered to him. True, he had spent a considerable amount on the food, but it was good and Tima really enjoyed it. And he really did want Tima to enjoy the food they ate when they had their meals together, so he thought that it would be okay to splurge just a little so that they could have some edible cooking for awhile.

When the man was done packaging the food, they set off again in hopes of finding the remaining items that they needed. Tima carried the food containers, while Kenichi pushed a large shopping container on wheels that held the supplies they had bought. They visited several more shops and stalls, even stopping at one that sold relatively fresh produce, a rarity in Zone 1, where he had encouraged Tima to pick out some additional foodstuffs. She chose a watermelon and some zucchini. It was an interesting combination, but she had never tasted either one before and was quite intrigued by their shapes and colors. They had eventually gotten most of the parts that they needed, plus an assortment of food, but still had no luck in finding anything that they could use as an emergency power generator. They had searched more than half of the market and still had no clue as to where theycould acquire one. It wasn't really that surprising, taking into account how rare and valuable spare electrical power was down here.

Kenichi, out of desperation, had begun to ask around to see if anyone knew where to find one. It was risky move, considering that asking for such a rare item quickly aroused suspicion, but he was running sort of options. They were nearing the end of yet another small row of shops, when onestorein particular seemed to catch Kenichi's eye. He stopped, blinked, and stared at Tima for a moment, seemingly glancing up and down her whole body, before staring back at the shop entrance.

"What is it Kenichi? Is something wrong?" Asked Tima, concerned.

"Huh? Oh, uh…no, nothing's wrong. But I need to go into that shop for a minute, can you stay out here?"

"I…guess so…but why? What's in there?"

"I'll tell you later, I promise." He paused for a second, and then a small smirk crossed his face. "No, even better…I'll show you later! Just wait here and shout if you need me. I'll be right back! I promise!"

She seemed ready to question him some more, but stopped short of it and remained silent. She trusted Kenichi and he had promised to be back shortly and show her whatever it was that he was acting so peculiar about, so she waited dutifully next to the shop for her boyfriend to emerge.

Inside the shop, Kenichi was looking around carefully, holding up the shop's items in his hands, feeling their weight and texture, and trying to select the proper size and colors. He even took off his hood so he could see them better in the shop's light. After several minutes of browsing, he chose the ones he thought that Tima would like the most, and laid them out on a small table to be purchased. There was a small old woman on the other side of the table who looked at his selections.

"Ah yes, these are very nice. Among my finest, as a matter of fact! These must be for somebody special, are they not?" she asked kindly.

"Yes, _very_ special!" Kenichi suddenly seemed to space out for a moment, thinking about how special Tima really was.

"How would you like to pay?" the old woman asked, bringing him back to reality.

"Uh, here." Kenichi placed his money on the table. "Will this be enough?"

The old lady giggled. "Yes, more than enough. You must really like this person if you are not even going to haggle me over the price, unlike some of the stupid boys in this city who wouldn't know what a fine quality goodwas if it bit them in the-"

"Uh, thank you!" interrupted Kenichi. "Oh, and do you have anything that I could put them in…just for the journey home?"

"Of course! I actually care about how _my _goods are handled, unlike that foolish shopkeeper across the street, now when people buy _her_ merchandise, they can't ever expect-"

Kenichi listened, impassively, as she grumbled on about her store's competition across the way while she gently wrapped his items and put them into some small brown paper bags. He then took the bags, along with his change, and was about to head back outside when a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Uh, do you know where I might be able to find a portable power generator?"

"I'm sorry deary, a what now?"

"A portable power generator."

"Well I'm not sure about that…but if you're having trouble finding something, especially if it's in short supply, then chances are that Namid has it."

"Namid?"

"Mmm-Hmm, his store has all sorts of rare items and electronic gizmos and fiddle-faddle things. It's on the other side of the market, just next to the central-west entrance, you can't miss it…really, you can't. He may be kindly old hoot, but his shop looks like a junkyard for robots, I swear!"

Kenichi winced slightly at the last statement, but was otherwise encouraged that there might actually be someone in the market who could get him a power generator. He thanked the old lady, readjusted the hood of his jacket, and walked outside to an anxiously awaiting Tima.

"What did you get?" she asked, looking at the bags he was carrying. "What's in the brown bags?"

"I"ll show them to you when we get home." He smiled brightly and kissed her on the cheek. "I promise! But not here, I want to wait until we're at home…alone together. Okay?"

She nodded dreamily, still glowing from the kiss he had given her. No matter how many times he kissed her, the effects of it never seemed to diminish. It always seemed to send her on a thrill ride of emotions, all of them fulfilling and yet leaving her wanting more. But why did he want to be alone with her when he showed her…whatever it was…that he had gotten at that store? She didn't know, but the idea sent warm shivers down her back and a strange fiery sensation spread throughout her body. Kenichi put the newly purchased items in their cart and took her hand in his as they began to walk together towards the central-west entrance of the market.

"Where are we going now Kenichi?"

"The shopkeeper in that last store told me where we might be able to find a power generator."

"Really! Where!"

"In a store on the other side of the market. Apparently a human called Namid runs it."

"Namid?"

Kenichi nodded.

"That's a funny sounding name." Tima giggled. "Namid!" and she giggled some more. Kenichi couldn't help joining in.

About halfway through the market, the two friends passed by a large open plaza where a small crowd of people had gathered. Most of them seemed to be just shoppers who were passing by and decided to see what all of the commotion was. In the center of the crowd, standing atop a large platform of sorts, was man in a beret. He had a good build, but his left arm was in a sling and his body seemed to be covered in bruises and scars, though none of them seemed serious. He was wearing a white shirt and black overalls. The people appeared quite intent on listening to him and were growing larger in number by the minute. He was shouting out andmaking gestures with his spare hand, creating what seemed like quite a stir. At first, neither Kenichi nor Tima could hear what he was saying, but he became clearer as they got closer to the plaza.

"-took our jobs! _They_ are! And who is responsible for leading us into this pit of depression and despair? _They _are! If it weren't for them, we would still have good paying jobs! There would be no _under_world! No _under_class! We would all be living together on the surface as one race!"

There were general murmurs of agreement from the crowd. Heads nodded and excited whispers spread amongst the mass of people assembled. Kenichi stopped in mid-stroll and stared at young man. There was something awfully familiar about his voice… Tima had also seemed tonotice something strange and stopped alongside him.

"I'm not saying that everything would be perfect. And I'm not saying that we would all be living in wealth and happiness. But at least things would be better than they are now!"

More whispers of agreement.

"Those _things_ took away our jobs, our livelihoods! And for what?They don't get paid! They don't do it out of pride or respect for their work! They do it because that's what they're _programmed _to do!"

More mutters of agreement, this time slightly louder. The crowd was growing quite large now, maybe a hundred strong. Kenichi suddenly got a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew he should take Tima and get away from here, but there was something…familiar about that man. He knew that he had heard that voice before, but from where? He squinted his eyes to try and get a better look at him, but had trouble seeing over the crowd.

"They have no sense of morals or decency! They don't know what they are doing or why they are doing it, they just do! It's in their _programming _and they can't deny their programming!"

Shouts were now being heard from the crowd. Tima was fidgeting nervously, but, like Kenichi, made no effort to move…yet.

"And _who _are they programmed by? Who decides what they should do and whether it's right or wrong? Not us! The people living on the surface in their towers! They are the ones who decide! They, who abandoned us and left us to rot down here with little clean water, no food, no medical attention, not even clean air or sunlight!"

The crowd was getting riled up now. Most of them seemed to agree with the charismatic speaker, while some near the edge of the growing mass were giving himskeptical looks. They had heard this type of talk before, and knew that it usually led to no good. Some of the skeptics had gone off to warn the security officers, who were now starting to converge on the outskirts of the plaza.

"And why do they have all the power?Who protects them, their greed, their self-indulgence at the expense of others? The _robots!_"

The crowd was screaming now and was several hundred strong. A few banners and posters appeared, seemingly from nowhere, hovering over their heads, proclaiming the downfall of the robots and the surface dwellers. Some of the smarter people could see that this situation could get out of control, and made haste in leaving the area, just as the security forces were starting to move in to try and contain the mass.

"Who is responsible for taking our jobs and ensuring our position as residents of this underworld?_The robots!_ And who sees to it that our selfish overlords live in comfort without having to think about the consequences of their actions?_The robots! _And who was responsible for the collapse of the Ziggurat?_The robots!_"

The crowd was screaming now, many at the top of their lungs. Others were demanding action, demanding that they form a mob and destroy their "mechanical oppressors." The situation seemed all too familiar to Kenichi and Tima, who had seen similar demonstrations before, right before the great anti-robot uprising. It was just before the collapse of the Ziggurat. The great rebellion had taken the lives of many innocent robots who were working in the underground at the time, including their friend Pero. It also ended up taking the lives of many humans as well when Duke Red decided to seize power amidst the chaos and squashed the rebellion…with deadly force. Then it suddenly occurred to Kenichi just who the speaker was…and he gasped.

"Kenichi," whispered Tima, "isn't that-"

"Yes Tima," he gulped. "it's Atlas."

Suddenly, the sound of multiple air horns filled the plaza and Kenichi noticed that the security forces had assembled, en mass, and were heading for the crowd. And many of them were armed.

"Come on Tima," whispered Kenichi. "We have to get out of here."

"But what about Atlas?"

"I don't know, we'll worry about him later. He's…he's against us now. We'll have to be vigilant. But we have to leave before things get out of hand."

The two lovers, tightly clasping each others' hands, quickly but subtly moved away from the crowd and past the line of approaching security. The armed men blew their air horns once again, but the crowd didn't seem to take any notice. Most of the nearby shops and vendors had closed and boarded up, in anticipation of a riot. Just when the throng seemed like they were about to turn violent…

_**PW-BOOOMMMM!**_

One of the officers had fired a shotgun into the air. The crowd turned dead silent and looked around, as if they were just now noticing that well over a hundred armed and very angry guards were surrounding them in a loose circle.

"Good!" Shouted out one of the head guards, "Now that we have your attention, I think it's time that we move this little _unauthorized _gathering to someplace where you won't end up hurting _people _instead of _robots!_ Now if you can't act in a civil manner, then we will be forced to remove _all of you_ from the marketplace! _By any means necessary!"_

Tima and Kenichi watched from a distance, behind the protection of the armed guards. They stared briefly at each other, and then back at the spectacle in the plaza. Kenichi was in a state of shock. The last time he had seen Atlas, he was lying unconscious on the ground after leading the ill-fated rebellion against the surface world and the robots. A prison transport had hauled him away shortly afterwards. What was he doing here? Had they let him go? If they did, it was obviously a very bad decision. He seemed to be up to his old rebellious ways once again.

And suddenly, Kenichi became very afraid…and very angry. Atlas had been his friend once. He had even taken care of him and Tima when they were being chased by the Marduks. But Atlas didn't known Tima's true nature. And now…Tima was more important to him than anything. And the robots were his family. And anything that was a threat to them…was also a threat to him as far as he was concerned.

Many in the crowd seemed ready to charge the security were fearful, and cowered behind the others in the center of the group, using them as human shields in case they were fired upon. Atlas saw the situation for what it was, and realized that it needed to be defused before it got out of hand. He had made his point, and had gathered a few more followers. That was all he needed. What he _didn't_ need was another bloodbath held in his name.

"Hey there! No need to get trigger-happy. We were just holding a peaceful demonstration, that's all!" He yelled from the top of the platform.

The security guard scoffed. "Well in that case, you won't mind _peacefully_ moving your little demonstration somewhere else! This is just a passive and nonviolent marketplace! We don't need any trouble from the government or you rebellious types! Now if any of you have business here, you're allowed to it…but _just _business! This is _not_ a rebel recruiting station and it is _not _a political arena! Do I make myself clear!"

Atlas seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then nodded. "I think I've made my point. We'll be leaving shortly. We just have a little _business _to attend to first. But _just_ _business._"

The lead officer glanced from Atlas, then at his own forces, and finally at the crowd of unarmed civilians in front of him, most of whom had calmed down and appeared quite nervous now. Having a few dozen guns pointed at them seemed to have made them realize just who really had the upper hand in this charade The officer glanced back at Atlas once more, who appeared placid and offered no further sign of trouble making or resistance. The guard signaled his men to lower their weapons. They reluctantly did so. Finally, Atlas ordered his men to stand down and to help disperse the crowd, who, slowly at first but then rapidly and en mass, departed the plaza in all directions. Atlas and his followers were amongst the last to leave…under a police escort.

Kenichi let out a breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding in. That was a close one. They would have to be more careful in future. They couldn't afford to be in the middle of a riot like that. Tima could have gotten seriously hurt. He looked down at his girlfriend, making sure she was okay.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I think so." A pause. "Kenichi, are they really going to hurt the robots? Are they going to start another…revolution?"

Kenichi considered his answer carefully. "Don't worry…I don't they will try it again, not after what happened the last time. I…I think they were just trying to express their anger, get it off their chests."

Tima gave him an odd look. Kenichi couldn't blame her. Emotions were weird things sometimes and these particular humans were showing off their emotions in all the wrong ways. But he needed to reassure Tima. He was _not _going to allow these people or anybody else to harm her or the robots in their family!

"Kenichi…" she whispered. "they blamed the robots for the collapse…but it wasn't their fault!

"I know Tima, I know…they just jump to conclu-"

"It was mine. It was my fault that the-"

"No! No it wasn't!" In a surprising move, he embraced her in tight hug and rubbed her back gently. She buried her head in his shoulder as he whispered softly in her ear.

"We went over this, remember? It WAS NOT your fault! It was all because of that stupid Duke Red! Those other people can believe whatever lies they want to, they weren't there and they don't know the truth, but we do!"

Tima relaxed in his arms, and returned his embrace, grateful for all the comfort he was giving her.

"They won't try to do the same thing again. They won't start another crusade against the robots. At least…I hope they won't. They got beaten too badly last time. And besides, they don't even know what they're fighting for. They've been lied to most of their lives, they're just confused, that's all. They'll realize the truth…someday."

Tima sighed and loosened her hold on her lover as he kissed her gently on her forehead. Somehow, he was always able to make her feel better…safe…secure. Like there was nothing that could go wrong as long as they were together.

"And even if they don't, they won't harm you or any of our robots, I promise! They don't know where we are, and I won't let them find out!"

Tima took in what he said, and then nodded in agreement. She knew Kenichi would do whatever it took to protect their family…and so would she. She stared out at the stragglers in crowd and the remaining security forces, which were even more vigilant now that they had come close to having an angry mob on their hands.

"Come on, we should probably leave." Kenichi gently nudged her. "We've gotten most of what we came here for…and it would be safer if we stayed at home until things cool off."

Tima nodded, and leaned against him as they began to leave the market…but then she remembered why they had passed by that horrible plaza in the first place.

"But Kenichi, what about the generator?"

Kenichi stopped in mid stride and scolded himself. How could he forget about the generator? It was one of the main reasons they had come here in the first place. Then again, it was much more dangerous now. The guards were everywhere, and they were much more cautious. And many of the market goers were not in a friendly mood. Plus, since the near-riot began, many shops had closed up for the day and it was now late in the afternoon. Much of the market had been emptied out, which meant they would have more trouble blending in. But…they _really _needed that generator. If something went wrong with the one back at home and an emergency arose, they would be in serious trouble! He looked at Tima…and weighed the risks of both leaving and staying. After a few moments of consideration, he made a decision.

"I guess…we should at least take a look and see if Namid has one. But we had better do it quickly. We shouldn't stay here any longer than necessary."

Tima nodded, and together the two hastily made their way to the other end of the market, all the while trying to avoid as many of the guards and leftover shoppers as possible. When they reached the central-west entrance, they noticed a large, dilapidated warehouse off to the side. There was a fizzling neon sign on top that said "Namid's". They had found the right place.

The shop was surrounded by small piles of tubes, wires, engines, machines, old computers, and literally tons of other spare parts and electronic equipment. It was all stacked together hap hazardously with no apparent sense of purpose or organization. The inside was even worse. The lighting was dim and the floor, what little of it wasn't covered in junk, was quite dirty. There were even more piles of debris, some of it reaching up the ceiling. There were also rows upon rows of shelves lined with various unidentifiable knick-knacks. There didn't seem to be anybody around, but the door was open. They left their items outside and entered cautiously, Kenichi going first, followed by Tima.

"Uh, hello? Is anybody here?"

There was no response. He glanced back at Tima, who looked at him for directions as to what they should do next. He shrugged in reply, and began searching the mounds of wreckage for anything that could be of use to them. Tima followed suit, being sure not to stray too far from Kenichi. Several minutes of searching had turned up nothing of great value to them.

"I wonder where this Namid person is? Do think maybe he's out or something?"

Tima suddenly gasped behind him and he jerked around in response.

"Kenichi, look!"

He followed her gaze. There, lying on top of a small pile of scrap, was the body of a robot. It was a humanoid model, but it looked pretty beat up. Several of his parts were torn out or missing. But the most important thing was that this was no ordinary robot. They knew this one! It was Pero!

Kenichi blinked and rubbed his eyes, then looked over at Tima for confirmation that the robot body he was seeing was really Pero's. She returned his gaze and wordlessly nodded her affirmation. She thought it was Pero too. Both of them immediately began climbing the mound of trash and, having reached the top, furiously began digging their friend out. Once his entire body was exposed, they checked it over for damage.

"Is it-?"

"Yes," he whispered. "IT _**IS **_PERO!"

True, it was hard to tell. Many robotic models did look quite similar, and there were multiple copies of each one…sometimes thousands of copies. But Kenichi had spent a great deal of time with Pero and had even witnessed what he thought was the robot's demise. And he knew that this was their friend.

"We have to get him down and out of here!"

"Mmm-Hmm." Tima nodded. "Right!"

They lifted their robotic friend up, Tima at his legs and Kenichi at his head, and slowly tried to carry Pero down the hill of trash and scrap. But halfway down, Kenichi tripped on something and the trio lost their balance and slid down the artificial hill until they painfully struck the floor. Kenichi and Tima shook it off quickly and checked their companion over for damage.

Though he didn't seem to have suffered anything from the fall, he wasn't in very good shape. His optical sensors were hanging loosely from his head, one of his arms and both of his legs were torn off, and he had multiple holes and ruptures throughout his body. The worst of which was a large tear in the side of his head and massive gaping hole in his cheat cavity.

"Kenichi," Tima was on the verge of tears. "Is he-?"

"I-I don't know. He looks pretty bad, but his fuel cells aren't ruptured and…" he fiddled around with some loose wires hanging from theopening in the side of his head. "and I don't think there's been any serious damage to his major systems." He flipped the body over, and inspected the backside, which seemed in pretty good condition, considering what had happened. "I-I think we can repair him…we just need a few spare parts from the repair lab."

A broad smile formed on Tima's lips as a worried sigh escaped her lips. "So, he'll be…okay? We can fix him…like we did some of the others?"

"Yes, I think we can!" Kenichi's confidence was growing the further he inspected his deactivated comrade. The damage really wasn't that serious…in fact, it was more cosmetic than anything. "All we need are some…new limbs…maybe a few transistors for his optical sensors…we may need to replace this circuit board…but it shouldn't be anything we can't do. We've fixed ones with far more damage than him."

Tima nodded happily. It was true that they were good at fixing robots. And Kenichi had virtually rebuilt her from scratch. Hopefully, they could bring their friend back! Then, she suddenly noticed a large shadow hanging over them, and looked up to see that they were not alone.

"Uh..Kenichi?" She pointed behind him.

"Hmm?" Kenichi turned around from his crouched position, only to find himself shadowed by a large man in ragged clothing with a white beard and thinning hair.

"Aaahhh!" He jumped back.

"Oh, sorry ta startle ya there yougins'! I didn't mean to sneak up on ya's." The man apologized sympathetically and waved his hands in front of him to show that he meant no harm. "Tha name's Namid. Owner of this here treasure trove. I just couldn't help but notice ya takin' a keen interest in some of my merchandise."

Kenichi, getting over his initial shock, looked behind him at Tima, who was crouched over Pero's body, then back at the burly but seemingly harmless old man. "Uhh…"

"Fine choice that one. I found'em just after the riots started, just lyin' there on tha ground. Tried my best ta reactivate 'em, but I'm not familiar with his model. Was goin' to sell 'em, but people suddenly got this robot paranoia crud goin' around. Now I can't sell any of 'em!"

That caught Kenichi's attention. "Wait! You have others?More robots?"

"Yep! But not a one of 'em is in fair shape. Plenty of 'em left lyin' around after the riots, and even more after that blasted tower hit the dirt."

Kenichi and Tima looked at each other, then at Pero, then back at Namid. The old man could tell that they were interested.

"You want ta see 'em? Like I said, I got plenty. Most of 'em are in the back there."

Kenichi gave it a brief moment's thought. The guy appeared to be on the level and he didn't act like he meant them any harm. He glanced back at Tima.

"I'm going to go with him for just a moment, okay? Can you stay here with Pero?"

She nodded. "Yes Kenichi."

"Pero, eh? You wouldn't happen ta know this bot, did ya?"

Kenichi gulped. He had just inadvertently told the man that they knew Pero personally. And that could mean trouble. Humans weren't supposed to get attached to robots, and they definitely weren't supposed to give them names! Robots were given numerical and alphabetical designations so that they sounded more like objects than…living beings. Giving them names was considered illegal in Metropolis!

But Namid simply chuckled and winked at Kenichi. "It's alright! I got one myself ya know. Found 'em wonderin' around one day. Got robot amnesia or somethin'. Helps me out around the shop. Heck, practically runs the shop! You probably wouldn't know it just by lookin' at me," he chuckled harder. "but I'm actually quite old. Don't know how I'd run the place without 'em anymore. Some of this stuff is heavy, ya know. But, uh, let's just keep that between y'all and me, ya know? People around here got this insane notion that the bots are all about to replace 'em, silly huh?" He winked again and put a finger to his lips, indicating that it'd be just their little secret.

Kenichi blinked, and then breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, this man not only sympathized with their cause, but actually had robot companion of his own. Namid must had to have kept him hidden though, since it was now illegal for people in Zone 1 to have their own personal robotic partners or servants. He seemed to be one of the few humans in the underground that understood that the robots were far more than just mechanical tools. In fact, he seemed to treat them just like the living beings they reallywere.

"So this…Pero, he a worker fer ya or what?"

"Umm…something like that…I guess."

"Well, ya can have 'em if ya want 'em, and his buddies too. I gim 'em to ya fer near dirt cheap. No one seems ta be wantin' anythin' ta have ta do with 'em anymore. At least, not around these parts. Ya want ta get all techny about it, I ain't even suppose to have 'em, deactivated or not. Guess I should unload 'em."

Kenichi looked back at Tima. The message that passed between them was silent, but clear and unanimous. He turned back to Namid.

"We'll give you whatever you want for him and for the others too…especially if they can be repaired."

"Well, I don't know about the repair part…some of 'em be in pretty bad shape. But ya could at least have a look-see if ya fancy one."

Kenichi nodded and the humble old man led him to the back of the facility. Tima stayed behind to watch over Pero. When they got to the end of the warehouse, Kenichi stopped and gasped at what he saw. Hidden behind several mounds of waste were the deactivated bodies of what must have well over a hundred robots! There was every shape, size, and model imaginable, including several types that he had never even seen before! They were piled on top of each other, many on large tables and shelves, but they were done so in an organized and orderly fashion. Plus, most of them seemed to be clean and Kenichi noticed evidence of attempted repairs on more than a few of them. It was clear that Namid treated his robots with far greater care than the rest of his shop.

"Ya like 'em, huh?" Namid commented, seeing Kenichi's jaw drop open.

Kenichi merely nodded silently. Then, after pausing a few more seconds to get over his initial shock, walked up to closest groups of robots and began physically inspecting them. This went on for a while, as Kenichi went from one robot to the next, trying his best to make a mental list of their injuries and what parts and repairs would be needed to get them functional again. It was confusing, to say the least, but after spending so much time back at his own repair lab fixing up his robotic family; he knew how to restore them just as well as anybody else in the city.

And, though it would take a great deal of time, energy, and resources…he was pretty sure that he and the others would be able to reactivate all of these robots as well. They were extremely lucky in the fact that none of them seemed beyond repair. He continued until he had inspected every single robot in the space. Namid watched on in utter fascination and intrigue at the interest his new customer was showing in the robots. Even though he was young, he seemed to know more about the robots than anybody the old man had ever met before…including himself. When Kenichi was finally satisfied with his inspection, he turned around to face Namid.

"Are these all of them?"

"Just 'em and that buddy of yours back there. A hundred and thirty-three total. Took me awhile ta clear out the space back 'ere so I just now started placin' 'em on the shelves. Sheer luck, your Pero guy was goin' be the last one I put in. Would've done it sooner, but I had another customer waiting in the front that needed tendin' ta. Wanted some special equipment. Told him to come back later today and I'd have it fer 'em."

"But these are the only ones? You are absolutely sure that there are no others lying around?"

"Pretty sure. They were all lyin' back there with tha other one before I moved 'em back here. And he's the only one left. What, a hundred an' thirty-three ain't enough fer ya?"

Kenichi looked back at all of them. And he imagined their potential once they were reactivated. Their potential as friends…as family.

"They'll do. Definetly. We'll take them, all of them."

Namid's eyes popped out. "ALL of 'em! Ya want ALL ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE of 'em?"

"Yes." Replied Kenichi. "You've done a pretty good job at trying to repair them yourself, and none of them seem to be beyond mending. We'll give them whatever parts they need and fix them up."

"Ya goin' to reactivate them? ALL of them?"

Kenichi paused before considering how much information to give Namid. But the man seemed pretty trustworthy.

"Yes. At least, we'll try to. None of them seem to have sustained any damage we can't correct. We might need some spare parts though."

Namid looked down at the boy in wonderment. "Boy, I don't know what kind of setup ya got goin', but it must be a dosey if ya think ya can honestly fix all of 'em up ta workin' standards!"

Kenichi shrugged. "We'll get the job done. We've had to take care of ones that were a lot worse off than these and we've always pulled through for them."

Namid considered Kenichi's words for a moment, then replied. "That'll be quite a work force if ya get 'em all up an' runnin'. Ya know it'll be kinda hard ta keep 'em all unnoticed. It's unlawful to have even one ya know, much less a hundred plus. Ya sure ya want _all _of 'em?"

Kenichi winced at the term "work force", but kept silent about it. As for repairing them and keeping them hidden, he didn't think it would be too much trouble. Their compound already had well over a hundred robots, and could probably support several thousand before it began to get too crowded.

"Yes, I'm sure." A pause. "And we'll pay you whatever you want for them."

Namid seemed to think before answering. "Well, like I said, I'll give 'em ta ya fer darn cheap…how much ya got on ya?"

Kenichi pulled out the remainder of his funds. He made no attempt to haggle or barter over the price. These were living beings as far as he was concerned. True they were…asleep at the moment, but with luck they wouldn't be for too much longer. They were far too valuable to him to try and bargain over. Fortunately, Namid could see how much they meant to Kenichi, and he was too humble and honest to exploit him.

"That seems ta be a fair 'mount. More than fair, actually. They're all yours, mate!"

Kenichi smiled brightly.

"Quite a lot of tonnage though. Ya live close ta here? Be a hassle takin' 'em all home, 'specially with all tha anti-bot loonies runnin' 'round now."

Kenichi realized that he had a point. Trying to sneak over a hundred robots into their compound would be a challenge, even if they brought them over in small groups.

"I can take 'em fer ya, ya know."

Kenichi looked up at Namid's statement.

"I got what ya would call connections. Could get some people ta look tha other way if I just so happen to be passin' through with some…ahem…metal building materials. And tell ya what, seein' as how ya seem ta be such a fine and strappin' young lad, I won't even charge ya tha delivery fee. Need ta get my hands clean of this stuff anyways. So, how 'bout it? Just tell me where ya want 'em gone ta."

Kenichi considered the offer. It was very generous, and he now trusted Namid almost completely, but he just couldn't reveal the location of their base of operations…at least, not yet. Besides if either he or Namid got caught, it could jeopardize both of them. And Kenichi wasn't quite willing to take that risk yet. He had to come up with an alternative solution. After a moment's thought, he came up with a compromise.

"Do you know where the primary west tunnel intersects the old north side residential district?"

Namid nodded.

"Near the end of the tunnel, on the east side, there's an open drainage line, leading back into Zone 3. Do you think you could take them there?"

"Uhh…sure, I suppose."

"Good. I'll have some friends meet you there and they'll take them off your hands, deal?"

"Okay…I guess."

"Great! Thank you very much for helping us out. It really means a lot to us."

Namid nodded.

"Oh, and Namid? Don't be surprised if the people you meet there aren't…human, okay?"

Namid raised an eyebrow, but didn't object. Both of them seemed happy with the deal, and Kenichi was happy that he had found a new ally in his endeavors. After going over a few of the details, the two headed back to the middle of the warehouse, where an anxious Tima awaited, still watching over Pero. Upon Their return, she gave Kenichi a questioning, but hopeful, look. He saw it and reassured her.

"Pero's with us now. And so are one hundred and thirty-two others!"

Tima's eyes lit up. "A hundred and thirty-two?"

Kenichi nodded. "Plus Pero, that makes a hundred and thirty-three total."

"Wow! A hundred and thirty-three! That's a lot! And they're all with us now?We can take them home?"

Kenichi's smile grew at Tima's excitement. "Yes! They're deactivated right now, and most of them are damaged, but it's nothing we can't repair." He leaned over to embrace Tima, who was ecstatic over having Pero back again. She returned his embrace with one of her own. He whispered in her ear, "We can't take them right now…it'd be too dangerous, but Namid has arranged to transport them soon. Then…then Pero will be with us and…our family will be a hundred and thirty-three stronger!"

Tima sighed happily in his arms and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his touch on her body. Once again, Kenichi had come through for her…for their mechanical brethren…for their family. She knew…she knew that he would always come through for them and always protect them, no matter what the cost. She opened her eyes to see Namid, their newest ally, staring at them with quite an odd and perplexed look on his face. When Kenichi's hold finally loosened, she walked over to him and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Namid, for helping us and Pero and the others. It is most kind of you."

She then enveloped Namid in a big hug, causing a slight snicker from Kenichi.

"Umm…uh…ya…uh…welcome?" stuttered the surprised shop keep.

She then ended her embrace and returned to Kenichi's side. Both of them wore huge smiles. They had finally found another human ally.

"Uhh…alrighty then, anthin' else I can do fer ya youngins'?"

"Kenichi," whispered Tima, "the generator, remember?"

"Oh, right!" With all of the excitement over finding Pero and the other robots, he had nearly forgotten the reason why they had come here in the first place. "You wouldn't happen to have a mobile emergency power generator, would you?"

"Well…" Namid scratched his beard. "As a matter of fact I do…er…actually make that I did. 'Member that customer I was tellin' ya about? One that wanted some special equipment? Seems he happened ta have a power generator on tha list. Last one I had too. Hasn't come ta pick it up yet, but already told 'em it was 'is if he wanted it. First come, first serve, ya know. Really sorry. Generators are rare, get a high demand, ya know."

Tima and Kenichi looked at each other worriedly. Just as things seemed like they were going their way, they had to lose what they had originally came for…not that they weren't pleased with everything else they had found…but…they come so close to getting it all. Not only did Namid have their friends, but he also had what was possibly one of the last power generators left in the underground city. But it had already been claimed by someone else right before they had a chance to do the same! It didn't seem…fair.

"Kenichi," pleaded Tima, "we need the generator. What if something went wrong and the robots needed it!"

Kenichi knew how serious that would be. She was right. They needed a generator badly.

"Please Mr. Namid, is there any way you could get another generator? We would be more than happy to compensate you for it! But we need a generator badly! If our primary one fails and we don't have a backup, we could be in serious trouble!"

"I'm real sorry, kids." He said sincerely. "But that was tha last one I got. And I don't know when, or if, I'll be able ta get 'nother one. I would give ya tha one I got, but like I said, tha other guy's already laid claim to it…and I'd hate ta go back on my word. Wouldn't be fair if I did."

The two friends were really upset over this. They understood Namid's position. He couldn't just go back on his word, especially when it appeared that he was one of the few honest people left in the underworld. But they _really _needed that generator!

"Ya know…I guess ya could always try talkin' ta tha guy. Offerin' 'em more fer it than what he paid fer…if he'll go fer that sorta thing."

"Oh, can we Kenichi?"Tima asked desperately. "We really need a generator, right?"

Kenichi nodded. "Mmm-hmm. I guess it couldn't hurt to try. Do you know when this guy is coming to pick it up?"

"Told 'em it'd be ready by now. Reckon he'll be 'ere any minute. Ya can wait up front with me if ya'll like."

They both nodded in sync and, after storing Pero neatly in the back with the other robots, followed Namid to the front of the shop, which was a small lobby-like space with a counter and an old-fashioned cash register. Nobody else appeared to be there.

"Well, how da ya like that? Told me he'd be 'ere by now. Humph! People these days, they ain't ever on time!"

"Speak for yourself!"

The trio turned around and gasped as a figure emerged from a dark corner.

"I've been waiting here for nearly an hour. Just where have you been?"

"Shut yer yap! Ya ain't my only customer ya know! Besides, I got yer junk around back. Just give me a darn tootin' minute and I'll go fetch it fer ya…just be sure yer ready ta pay. This stuff ain't easy ta get, ya know. In the meantime, these two youngins' be wishin' ta speak ta ya about a trade fer that power generator…I suggest ya listen ta 'em and entertain tha idea. I'll be back in a sec."

Namid went into the storage room behind the counter. The newcomer then turned his attention to the two others, who stood silently with surprised and nervous looks on their faces. Faces that seemed awfully familiar to him for some reason…then it hit him!

"Kenichi? Kenichi, is that you!"

Kenichi glanced nervously at Tima, who had decided to take position behind him. She was definitely uneasy about the newcomer, as was he, and for good reason.

"Uhh…yeah Atlas, it's me." His voice was so quiet it sounded like a mouse.

"Hey! It really is you!" He approached them to get a better look. He was quite jovial at seeing some familiar faces. "And Tima too!" He noticed she was hiding behind her male companion. "Uhh…is she…okay?"

Kenichi gave her a reassuring smile and held her hand tightly, silently sending her a message that he would protect her.

"Umm…yeah, she's fine. Just…uh…been, well, you know…the collapse and everything." He fumbled around for an excuse.

Atlas nodded his head understandingly. "Ah, I see. I'm sorry to hear that. It hit everyone pretty hard. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that oversized monstrosity bit the dust. I just wish it didn't have to take a bite out of everything else in the city when it did it. But it's great to see that you two made it out okay and that you're still sticking together! I didn't know you were still in the city. I thought that…if you survived the collapse…you would have left on the evacuation transports. Why are you still here anyways? Covering the reconstruction efforts for the press?"

"Uh…yeah, you know. This is still pretty big news, the rebuilding and all."

Back when they had first met Atlas before the collapse, Kenichi had told him that he was helping his uncle work on an article for the press back in Japan. It was a cover story he had told Atlas since he wanted to keep his uncle's identity as a detective safe. He also did it for Tima's sake, since Atlas welcomed them into his group when he thought that they could help cover their side of the story for the revolution he was about to incite. Kenichi didn't like it, but he needed help in hiding Tima and Atlas was willing to offer them protection. Atlas had never found out Kenichi's true purpose in Metropolis, or that Tima wasn't really human. And Kenichi was trying desperately to keep up the appearance of his original cover story.

"But how did you get out? I saw them put you into a prison transport…back…after…well, you know…"

Atlas chuckled. "Yeah, well, when the Ziggurat fell, it took most of the prison wall with it. In all the confusion, it was easy to slip away. Unfortunately, when it took the wall, it nearly took my arm too." He tried to move his arm, which was in a sling, to emphasize the point. "It's nothing permanent, but it's still healing. But there are not that many doctors down here that can help it heal any quicker."

"Yeah…But, wait, you said you escaped? Does that mean you're a fugitive now?"

Atlas hesitated, and then spoke. "Yeah, I guess it does. But nobody's really seemed to take notice. Guess they're all too busy building up there," he pointed to the ceiling. "to worry about what's going on down here."

An eerie silence ensued, neither really knowing what to say to the other. Atlas got the distinct feeling that Kenichi was very tense and uneasy. But he didn't understand why. Had they gotten hurt after the revolution was quelled? Did they blame him for something that had happened to them? Or were they just nervous hanging out with a known fugitive?

"Are you going to start another revolution?"

Atlas was shaken from his thought, only to notice that the shy Tima, still protectively in position behind Kenichi, had spoken to him.

"Huh?"

"We saw you in the market. You were blaming the robots again. Are you going to start another revolution? Are you going to hurt the robots, Atlas?"

Atlas appeared taken aback by her questions. He opened his mouth to respond, but just as he did, Namid came back into the room.

"Well, here ya are, everything on tha list, as requested." He pulled out several large mobile carts filled with various equipment and spare parts. "Did ya talk ta tha youngins' 'bout dealin' fer tha generator? They really seem ta be needin' it."

Atlas turned back to the two.

"What about the power generator?"

"Well…uh…we…umm, kind of need it. We've been searching all over the city and when we heard that there might be one in this market we came to see if we could find it. But…uh…when we…got here, you had already….found…it."

Atlas had a surprised look. "Uh…well, yeah. They are pretty hard to get now, so we've been acquiring every one that we could find. Why…do you need one?"

Kenichi tried to quickly think of a believable excuse. "Umm...well…dahh…me and, uh, Tima, we…live together now…in Zone 1."

"Oh…well congratulations. I always knew you two would hit off."

Kenichi just nodded. "Well…we, uh…are living with some others too. Some families…of refugees. They lost their homes in the collapse."

Atlas nodded. He seemed to be buying it. And it wasn't exactly a lie; he was just leaving out the part about the families being robotic in nature.

"We have…some of them have…medical problems and we need electrical power to run their…medical equipment. We have a generator, but it's been…unreliable lately. It's old and we think it's only a matter of time before it shuts down permanently. We really…really need another one. There…isn't much we could offer you, but we would be in your debt if you lent us one of yours."

Atlas considered it. They did have several generators already, some of which they weren't using yet. And he always helped out the residents of Zone 1 whenever he could…

"Please!" pleaded Kenichi, who bowed down in a desperate attempt to show how thankful they would be. Tima followed suit…reluctantly. "Lives may depend on it!'

Atlas looked sympathetically at the two. He did owe them for everything that they had done for him before the revolution. Plus, Namid was giving him a very stern look. It was safe to say that if he refused the offer, he could say good-bye to any hope of having any future business dealings with the resourceful man.

"Hey!" yelled a voice from the doorway. It was one of Atlas's followers, waiting outside…with the police escort. "Atlas, come on man! We gotta go! They're waiting for us!"

Atlas turned back towards Kenichi and Tima.

"Okay, tell you what. You can have it…for now. But I want you to come talk with me about your situation and see if can't find a better solution. Meet me in the western residential district, near Zartman Street, in a few days. Just ask around for me, and tell them your name. The people there will know who you are by then and they'll take you to me, understand?"

Kenichi looked at Tima, who gave him a cautious look. He turned back to Atlas and nodded numbly. Meeting with Atlas on his home turf most definitely didn't appeal to Kenichi. But he had just given them the power generator that they desperately needed, and they had to show their thanks somehow. And at least he had given them a few days to think of a good cover story, rather than insisting he see the people who needed the generator right away. When it came down to it, they didn't have much choice.

"Good!" replied Atlas. "I'd like to stay and talk some more, but we really have to get going. The, uh, security forces aren't too keen on having us around here much longer." He smiled sheepishly.

Some of his men entered the room and helped move the remaining equipment out. Namid made sure to grab the power generator and set it aside before they did so.

"See you later, Kenichi! Hope the generator helps!"

Then, as suddenly as Atlas and his men had reappeared into their lives, they were gone.

"Ya know that guy?" asked Namid, watching the group leave.

"We used to." Kenichi whispered. "Before the collapse. At least, we thought we knew him. Now…I'm not so sure. He…he instigated the revolution. The one against the robots and the people living on the surface."

"Aye, I know. That's why I'm so nervous 'bout doin' business with tha likes of 'em. Always wantin' ta cause all tha wrong types of trouble. Ah, but not ta worry. Ya got ya generator, and ya new robots! And he ain't got a clue that tha two be connected. He don't even know that I have tha bots ta begin with! That's why I was puttin' 'em in tha back of tha shop, keep 'em away from from pryin' eyes, ya know."

Kenichi nodded dazedly.

"Anyways, tha generator's all ya's now, and I'll be deliverin' ya mechanical bosom buddies in a few days. Just gotta make a few preparations first, get some things settled in the way of transport, if ya know what I mean."

Kenichi nodded once again, and then bowed once more in thanks, as did Tima.

"We really can't thank you enough for all that you've done for us, we-"

"Aw, shucks! 'Nough with tha thanks already! I was happy ta do it! Not many folks left around that 'ppreciate a fine working botlike ya'll two do. Kinda reminds me of…well, me, I guess. Just take off about five or six decades." He laughed heartily.

Tima and Kenichi smiled at his humor. It was great to finally have another human ally on their side.

"Now, come on. Let's prep this baby fer transport!" He patted the top of the generator. The trio then set about getting everything ready for the trip home.

* * *

By the time Kenichi and Tima had made it back it was nearly dusk. They unloaded the supplies and distributed them amongst their robotic family. Kenichi went to the repair lab to help with the installation of the new generator. Then he and Tima informed the robots that they would soon be having new arrivals and gave them the details about where, when, and how they would go to pick them up. Needless to say, this caused a great deal of excitement amongst everyone. Their family was expanding faster than they could have hoped. And they were all anxious to help repair their newly found brethren and make them feel right at home.

After everything had settled down and the robots had celebrated in honor of their soon to be reactivated cousins, Kenichi and Tima settled down to have dinner inside their apartment. They had some noodles from the restaurant they had visited earlier, and even had some fresh fruit. They talked some about what it was going to be like having Pero and others back, and it was obvious that they were very happy about their plans, but the conversation was still noticeably overshadowed by what had happened back in the market.

Though neither of them said so outright, the near riot had spooked them. They knew that there was a large amount of anti-robot sentiment in the city, but now it seemed to be manifesting into potentially violent situations. Situations that could threaten their family if they weren't careful in avoiding them. The feeling of unease continued as the lovers prepared for bed, cuddling against each other under the blankets. Tima leaned into Kenichi, laying her head against his chest.

"Kenichi, what about Atlas?" In the comfort of his arms, she found the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing both of their minds since the incident at the market.

He sighed and gently kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about Atlas. He was just angry because he's trying to understand some…things that he doesn't know about and he's looking for someone to take his anger out on, someone to blame."

"And he's blaming the robots?"

Kenichi nodded softly.

"But why is he blaming the robots Kenichi? They never tried to harm him. It's not their fault that his revolution failed and it's not their fault that the collapse occurred."

He whispered softly in her ear. "I know Tima, I know. And deep down, maybe he does too. But right now he's confused and when humans are confused, sometimes they end up blaming it on people or things that they don't understand."

"And most humans don't understand the robots, do they Kenichi?"

"No, they don't. At least…not yet. But we'll change that eventually. We'll show them just how valuable the robots really are. And until then, I'm not going to let anything happen to them. Our family will be safe, I promise you."

Tima lifted her head up and gazed into her boyfriend's eyes.

"Kenichi, I'm glad that you aren't like those other humans. I…I like it when you protect us…when you protect me."

She reached up, and kissed him passionately on the lips. Kenichi returned the action until they finally parted some moments later, their faces glowing hot pink. Tima settled back down against him, sighing contently. He rubbed her shoulder gently. He knew that all of this must be worrisome for her, especially considering that humans in Metropolis acted so…so…irrationally sometimes. He just wished that there was more that he could do to reassure her. Something he could do to help take her mind off of it…then it came to him!

"Tima, I almost forgot! I have a surprise for you!"

She stirred. "A…surprise?"

He nodded. "Yes, and it's just for you! I got it while we were at the market. It's actually more like a gift. Do you want to see it?"

She nodded curiously. "Yes, please! What is it? What do you mean by a gift, Kenichi?"

He tenderly separated from her, got up, and walked back to the kitchen/living area, where he had stored the gifts in one of the cabinets.

"You'll see! Just wait here for a moment."

Several seconds later he reappeared. Except this time he was carrying several brown paper bags with him. He laid them out in front of Tima, who looked at them inquisitively.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Open them! They are for you after all!"

She reached out and began opening the first bag. When she peered inside, her eyes grew wide and she gasped, surprised.

"Oh, Kenichi! It's…it's beautiful!"

She pulled out a neatly folded short-sleeved shirt. It was bright blue and looked like it was brand new, without any dirt or tears or any signs of fading on it. She loved it! She hugged it close to her chest, and then proceeded to do the same with Kenichi.

"I love it! It's so beautiful! Thank you, Kenichi! Thank you!"

Kenichi blushed wildly. "I…I know it's not much, but there aren't many clothing stores down here and, well, I just noticed how much you liked the few clothes you have, even though they were getting a little worn out…so I thought you might like some new ones."

She continued to hug him tightly. "Thank you Kenichi! It looks so nice, and it feels so soft…just like you do!"

Kenichi's face was bright red now. "Uhh…ahem…why don't you open the other ones now? They're for you too!"

She did so without delay, and was stunned and overjoyed to find even more clothing! There were shirts in all different colors…orange, green, black, yellow, red, gray, purple, and brown! There were matching shorts and pants too! In another bag, there was a jacket and a light overcoat. One of the bags even had some dresses, both long and short, that he thought she might like. She had never really worn a dress before. Not one that she had chosen herself. He even got her some new socks. And all of the apparel was covered in a rainbow of bright colors! He knew how much she liked colorful things, especially clothes, but that she didn't really have any…until now.

And she adored them! She had never gotten clothes as a gift before. It sent a warm sensation throughout her body, knowing how thoughtful Kenichi was to have given them to her! And they were obviously brand new too! Anything that was new was rare in the underground city, clothes doubly so. She gleefully twirled around, holding her new clothes in the air. She sniffed them blissfully, intoxicated by their 'new clothes' scent…and by Kenichi's lingering scent from when he had handled them. This only made her crave the aroma even more, and she delightedly decided to glomp her lover, sniffing the heavenly odor of his hair and his body.

"They're so beautiful…so colorful. Thank you so much Kenichi!" she whispered in his ear. "I can't wait to try them on! I think they'll look really good on me. Do think they will look good?"

Kenichi sighed happily. "Tima, you're more beautiful than anything in creation. There's no way that anything could ever not look good on you."

Her entire body turned red from embarrassment. He kissed her passionately on the lips, which only strengthened the effect. After quite a while of kissing, cuddling, and other passionate physical contact, Tima proudly proclaimed her desire to try some of the clothes on. The rest of the night was spent as an amateur fashion show, Tima modeling different combinations of her new clothing line, and Kenichi commenting on how radiant she looked in each one. And their troubles were forgotten.

Atlas may still have been alive, but so was Pero. And Atlas, though not yet on the greatest of terms with the robots, _was _still their friend. And though there were people out there who truly did loathe the robots, there others like Namid who loved them. But none of that really mattered, not to them. Right now, the only thing that mattered was that they were together…safe and happy and at home with their family beside them. With more of their family soon to come. That was what was really important. They were together…and they intended to stay that way, no matter what.

* * *

Well, I thought it was okay. Long, but okay. Then again, sometimes long is a good thing. Tell me what you thought. Too long, too detailed, too short, not enough detail, more/less action, more/less romantic fluffiness, just right? (Please say just right! I want it to be just right!) Did Atlas seem okay? Or was he to OOC? And what did you think about Namid and the other characters? And to anybody that thinks clothes are a tacky gift…you probably haven't ever seen someone who's worn old or second-hand clothes all their life get brand new ones. Trust me, their faces light up like nothing you've seen…not that there's anything wrong with old clothes. Most of my uniforms are pretty old. And i got the clean/dirty water scene from an episode of the sci-fi show "Sliders".But what will happen next? Will the transport of the robots go as well as they planned? Is Namid really as nice as he seems? Cough/yes/cough. And what about Atlas? Will he find out Tima and Kenichi's secrets? Will he try to start another revolution? Will he ever end up on the robots's side? Cough/yes/cough. Tell me what direction you think the story should go. Ideas are welcome and I take requests! Me and Tasermon are waiting. So review please! I'll give out very cute Kenichi and Tima plushies to everyone who does! Whether they want them or not! Kenichi and Tima forever!


	6. Ratatouille

AN: *peeks out from behind curtain* Um, hi? *Gets pelted by rotten food-stuffs as the audience jeers* Yes, yes, I know, long hiatus. In my defense, it has been a very busy time, with school, graduation, and several jobs in-between and after. But still, I should have updated long before now, and for that I apologize.

To be honest, I was kinda surprised that people were still followin' it after all this time, but to my almost utter shock, I have continued to receive reviews and requests for me to continue. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond. Luckily for those who have wrote in, my life has slowed a bit recently (unemployment sucks, ne?) and I have dedicated myself to this work's continuance. Expect updates on at least a monthly basis from now on.

That said, this particular chapter is just a few pages. It was originally much longer, but I didn't like how the length worked out, so I'm gonna modify the other parts and post 'em when I'm done. Since it's been awhile, *wince* parts of this chapter rehash what's been happenin', and also reinforce the emotional bonds of the characters ('specially Tima and Kenichi). Also, there are subtle references to some other series here (_District 9_ and _Firefly_/_Serenity_ among 'em). Free imaginary cupcakes to those who spot the references (besides the obviously Pixar-influenced title, of course)!

Also, a VERY big thanks to my new beta-reader, **Gear001**, who has also written a companion, alternate-universe, side-story to this fic, entitled "_Metropolis Heroes Fallen_". Please check it out when ya get the chance!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go wipe this rotten food off me before I get attacked by wild bears.

*GRRRRR*

Oops! Too late!

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 6: Ratatouille

When Kenichi was younger and was still growing up in Japan, he had known several of his classmates from school, even boy classmates, who seemed to be deathly afraid of more "unsavory" creatures. Rats especially.

Luckily for Kenichi, he was not one of those people. If he had been, he imagined he would be quite terrified right now.

True, the underworld of Metropolis did not lack of rodents (he had even caught Tima generously feeding several of them kitchen scraps in their home), but this was a bit ridiculous.

Kenichi and Tima were almost waist deep in water…well, sludge was probably a more accurate description. They were inside a drainage tunnel that eventually led down into Zone 3 (since all drainage, sewer, and water tunnels eventually led down into Zone 3), waiting for a rendezvous which would hopefully be followed by the exchange of some _very_ precious "cargo".

The rendezvous was with a new human friend, Namid, and some of his associates. The "cargo", was Kenichi and Tima's family. Specifically, one hundred and thirty-three deactivated and mostly damaged robots that would become a part of their family once they were fully repaired and re-activated. One of whom, Pero, was very close to them, and had been their friend and helped them before the Great Collapse.

In the week and a half since they had first met with the kindly Namid, Kenichi, Tima, and the rest of the robot family back at their home base had worked extra hard to prepare for their new arrivals. Rooms were cleaned out, extra tables and chargers were added to the repair ward, and additional spare parts were acquired so that they would have as much on hand as possible to help in the repairs of their new family members.

They had tried their best to prepare and Kenichi was very proud of their humble efforts.

Unfortunately, he hadn't anticipated or prepared for…_this_.

In hindsight, it would seem odd to think of a drainage tunnel as _not_ being filled with…well, drainage.

But to Kenichi's knowledge this particular tunnel never had been flooded. At least, not since he had come to Metropolis. It was one of the reasons why he had chosen this particular tunnel to meet with Namid to begin with. It was supposed to be dry.

He had used the tunnel numerous times in past, while going out on his searches for Tima, all those painful months ago, and had used it twice in the past week when he and Tima had gone back to Namid's shop to go over details of the transfer of their new family and pick up additional spare parts. Each time the tunnel was dry.

And yet, when both Kenichi and Tima had arrived at one of the tunnel entrances that morning, along with several of the larger robots from their home who were to help out in carrying their new friends back, they were surprised to see a small stream of slightly rust-brown water rushing downwards towards an intersecting tunnel further down the line. To say they were surprised was an understatement.

After a few minutes of talk and discussion, Kenichi decided to go on up and check things out. An active drainage tunnel was no place for robots, even more so for deactivated robots that had exposed parts and circuitry.

Despite this, Tima had also decided to tag along, ignoring Kenichi's protests that it was safer back with the others.

And now, to top it all off, Kenichi was sure that he had no less than three rats climbing his body in an effort to escape the watery sludge that had invaded the previously dry tunnel that had probably been their home. It was difficult not to try and shake them off as they scampered up the back of coat. He was certain one had decided to hold out in his upper pocket.

To make matters even worse, the stream of water…er, sludge…had grown and was now waist high.

Kenichi glanced back at his adorable female companion. Who was looking less adorable now that the sludge was ruining her _brand new_ colorful clothes that he had picked out just a week and a half before. He had to wince at that. Those new clothes hadn't come cheap and he knew that Tima loved them.

Fortunately, she seemed more concerned with giving the rat that had climbed up onto her shoulder a loving scratch between the ears than with the state of her clothes. And she also didn't appeared bothered by the two other rats whom had decided that her curly blond hair would make a good nest for the time being, their heads and tails poking out from behind her locks.

Kenichi marveled again at just how innocent and caring his girlfriend was. How had he gotten so lucky?

Still, this sludge couldn't be good for her…protective skin coating or not.

"Tima?"

"Yes, Kenichi?" She replied, having turned from her furry companion, but her hand still scratching its little head.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back? The water is still rising…and it doesn't look that clean."

"I'm fine Kenichi."

"Oh…okay." His girl could certainly be stubborn sometimes, especially when it involved leaving his side, no matter the length of time.

"Kenichi?"

"Uh, yes Tima?"

"This is third time that you have asked whether I want to go back. I do not want to back without you, and you cannot go back until Namid arrives. Why do you continue to ask?"

Kenichi sighed. "It's just that…this wasn't how things were supposed to go, and we'll probably have to reschedule or move the rendezvous and this water feels…er…yucky…and I'm covered in rats, and your new clothes are ruined!"

Tima waited patiently for the rant to conclude, and was then silent for a moment before speaking.

"Are you nervous that things are not going as planned?" It sounded like a question, but Kenichi knew it was also a statement.

Tima had gotten used to some his habits by now, and one of the habits that he had picked up since living in Metropolis was that he could become…fidgety…when he got nervous sometimes.

"Y-Yes." He whispered, almost shamefully. "These…these are…they're our family, Tima. What if something goes wrong…er, worse than it already is! What if we get caught? What if this is some sort of trap? I can't have anything happen to you, Tima!" He shivered, despite his coat, and had to lean his back against the tunnel, mindful of his furry passengers, so he didn't collapse into the flowing sludge.

The past few days had been stressful for him, and the stress had only built up as each day passed, despite having Tima there to comfort him. There was just so much that could go wrong. He trusted Namid, to be sure, but that hadn't allayed his building worries that something would go wrong and then not only would their new family members be in danger, but their current ones could be as well.

Tima came closer, and though it was dark in the tunnel, he was still mesmerized by her crystal blue eyes as she embraced his shoulder.

"I know that you are worried, Kenichi. And I am very…glad that you care so much for us, for our family," Kenichi resisted the urge to cry into her shoulder "But you do not need to worry so much. I am here to help and protect you."

To Kenichi, that was both his greatest blessing and his greatest curse. As long as Tima was near him, and he continued to help her robotic brethren, he would be an added danger to her. He was added baggage, something to slow her down should she get into trouble. He dare not ever tell her this, for he was sure her response would be so fiercely negative towards the concept, that he would feel even guiltier for ever bringing it up.

"Kenichi?"

He gave a small gulp. "Y-Yeah?"

"If it makes you more comfortable, I can carry the rats for you."

He couldn't help it, he laughed out loud.

Slightly parted, and definitely more relieved than he was a moment ago, Kenichi proceeded to stand still as Tima circled around him, plucked the fuzzy, four-legged refugees from his coat and his pocket (it turns out that there were, in fact, not one, but two rats holed up in there) and then deposited them in her stitched-up and patched knapsack. She proceeded to do the same with the one on her shoulder, but oddly, left the two in her hair alone, as they seemed to be quite comfortable there and had a firm grip on her hair.

* * *

Not too much later, maybe five or ten minutes by Kenichi's reckoning, they had neared the end of the tunnel, only a few dozen meters ahead, when a large shadow came down from the entrance.

"Hey there!"

They couldn't see who it was, but the jolly and boisterous voice was enough. It was Namid. They quickly picked up the pace and met him halfway.

"Yeurk!" He shouted and pulled his boot out of the sludge for emphasis. "I'm a guessin' tit ain't normally 'tis, er, raunchy here, yes?"

"Uh, yes." Kenichi blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry Namid. This tunnel is normally dry. I knew it was a drainage tunnel, but I've never seen it flooded like this before. I thought that maybe…they didn't use it anymore?"

"Yeah, I figured as much. They have a diversion pipe set up clear down the length of the west tunnel. Looks like they jus' put 'er up last night. Probably goes clear up to the surface. Part of the reconstruction, ya know."

Kenichi looked behind Namid and noticed the long flexi-pipe, oddly colored a very bright pink, which was dumped at the entrance of the tunnel, spilling sludge out of the entrance.

"And I got news fer ya, that ain't no drainage, 'cept maybe from someone's personal throne room. That there's look – and stink – like de-lluted sewage."

Kenichi involuntarily wiggled his nostrils. He may have guessed as much, but had hoped that it was just the silt and trash that had collected in the dry tunnel for so long before being washed down with the water. So much for that thought. Now he _really_ needed to get Tima out of here…and take a shower when they got home…maybe several showers.

"Well, this changes things some. They got outlets all 'long…the…entire…"

Namid seemed to trail off as he looked behind Kenichi to his companion.

Who happened to have two fuzzy rodents peeking out at him from behind her hair.

"Uh, 'scuse me darling', but ya, uh, have somethin'…uh…up…" He gestured to his forehead.

She looked at Kenichi curiously for confirmation.

"He, uh, means the rats."

"Oh!" She exclaimed joyfully. "Yes, I know." As if to confirm it further, said rats began to squeal happily.

Namid had an…unreadable look on his face, but quickly shrug it off.

"Huh. Well, anyways, they've got outlets 'long the entire stretch of the western tunnel straight through tha north residential district to tha Prawn Camps. I imagine they got all the drain tunnels flooded, and then some. And that's a problem, less-n-ya know another way to get tha train down to yer hide-away."

Kenichi thought to himself for a moment, but then shook his head. He had planned out several other routes, should they not be able to make it to this one, but they all involved other drainage and waste tunnels connected to the main west extension from the marketplace. And if they were all flooded like this one…

"No, I don't. Can we reschedule, wait until they're done?"

Namid frowned deeply. "The receipt is for today only. I got a buddy ta look the other way as far as inspection, but the tariff's been paid fer. And it would start lookin' a tad "worrisome" if I didn't start haulin' today."

All goods that left the main marketplace had to be verified by a certified receipt from the retailer, as Tima and Kenichi had found out. They were informed of the procedures by the security as they first entered the market, and had been sure get receipts from the shops they visited and show them as proofs of purchase to the security forces when they left. It was to deter shoplifters and pickpockets from stealing people's goods. Everyone who left the market had to show that they bought their goods legitimately.

In addition, when transporting large amounts of cargo - enough that a special requisite for a cart-train was needed to haul them - a special "tariff" had to be paid to rent the trains, and to have the goods delivered. Namid had been very kind in having not charged them an additional delivery fee to cover the transport tariff, which he paid for out of his own pocket. He even hired his own men, and had his robot assistant help, in the delivery, so that there would be even more assurance that their new family members would arrive safely.

But, unfortunately, the cart-trains were in demand. And they could only be rented out for one day. Not to mention the receipts for purchase were only good for one day as well. If they rescheduled, it would arouse suspicion…and probably cost Namid a fair deal more than he had already paid for.

Namid had been generous to them. _Extremely_ generous, as a matter of fact. Kenichi knew of few others who would go to such lengths, especially humans. But Namid did have a business to run, and even though they were also helping him by relieving him of some "illict items", it was hard for one to run a business when one is broke…or is in jail for violating the robot control laws.

"Kenichi," timed in Tima, "what if they went along the main route from the junction near the fallout zone?"

Kenichi had come to same conclusion. But he didn't like it. The fallout zone, otherwise known as "The Pits", were the areas hardest hit the collapse of the Ziggurat. The areas were unstable, with large holes in the Zone floors and huge mounds of rubble. It was there that Kenichi had scoured for what seemed like endless months until he found Tima again.

But now they were filled with construction crews and workmen. What was even worse, though there were several tunnels that eventually ran the maze that led down to their home from The Pits, he could only think of one large enough for a cart-train to pass through…and nowhere along the tunnel was there enough room to transfer anything from a train to the robots waiting at the other end…especially not one hundred and thirty-three other robots, some of which were quite large.

The only place they could unload, without attracting attention, would be at the end of the tunnel…at their home.

"Tima," Kenichi whispered, though he could still be overheard by Namid, "there's nowhere to transfer, and it's too open, they'd have to go straight…straight to our home." The last word was said with a whimper that one uses to address a sacred place.

Their home had never been seen by outsiders, not human outsiders anyway, not since they had moved in. Kenichi trusted Namid, and he may have even trusted the men that had been hired to work for him, but to show him their home…their sanctuary?

"I know." Tima's voice was flat, which indicated that she knew the emphasis that her savior placed on their refuge, but nonetheless… "We cannot wait though. I cannot calculate any other viable alternatives. This plan would meet with the most probable chance of success. We must, Kenichi."

He sighed, and all the stress of the past few days seemed to coalesce and increase once more.

"You're right."

They turned toward Namid.

"There is another way, but it will lead straight to our base of operations…and our home. Its location needs to be kept secret. There…would be a whole lot of trouble if it wasn't. Our friends, the non-human ones, they could be taken away…or worse."

Namid nodded. He understood what was at stake…though he was beginning to get to the feeling that perhaps he had stumbled into something that was a lot deeper than what he had originally thought.

"Our friends can take the full delivery." Kenichi continued, "There are enough of them there that we won't need any help unloading. Can you drive the train there yourself?"

"I could, but they wouldn't let me. Gotta have at least the company driver there for security an' insurance purposes. Supposed to have someone watch the unload too, make sure not to damage the carts and see that the delivery actually gets made. Aw heck, I know Jirho well 'nough, I'll get him to lay off for this one. Pay him to go drink at the bar. The other loaders too. I'll tell 'em we decided to unload ourselves, but I'll still haveta pay 'em full wage for the time."

He paused, and Tima and Kenichi nodded happily, glad once again that Namid was going so far out of his way to help them.

"Still need a driver, though. Ain't no way 'round that one. They'd skin my hide if I took off with it. Can't get Bottles to look the other way, neither. He'd sooner be called a Purple Belly than let it outta his sights, 'specially with a non-company driver."

Looking at the couple's concerned faces, he continued, "But he's a loose guy, may not look it, but he is. Bit of an otaku when it comes to anything mechanical or robotic. He'll keep his trap shut just to be apart of it. He knows what we're transportin' already anyways. Had to make sure he understood the cargo to get the delivery order confirmed. Needed to check before the sign off. He knew it weren't no regular scrap. He's good, ya can trust him."

Tima and Kenichi looked at each other. They nodded. There was no other choice.

"Okay then, I'll give you the directions." Kenichi looked down. "Just as soon as we get out of…_this_."

Namid gave a small snort and bowed in a gentlemen-ly fashion, with his arm outstretched to indicate that the two should go first.

"Sir and Lady."

Both bowed in return, but before Kenichi passed him, the boy felt the urge to say something.

"Mr. Namid, please don't think that we don't trust you, we do, it's just that…this…"

"Nay, I understand. Got a few hush-ups of my own, as well you've seen some of 'em. Trust ain't always somethin' earned easy."

"But you _have_ earned it. It's-it's just…"

"Say no more, laddie. I gotcha. Still, can't wait ta match wits with yer boss though, if'n he'll let me. Must be some kinda shiny operation ya'll got goin' on up here. Mayhaps a chance for certain "business opportunities" in the future as thanks for my help? Assumin' what ya got goin' takes off?"

Kenichi did not reply and trudged forward, wondering how Namid would react when he found out he had no boss and there was no business operation, other than what business they needed to do in order to get by on. He hadn't lied to him about anything, he had simply let the jovial old fellow make his own assumptions. He mentally made a note to scrounge into their – very meager – savings and pay Namid whatever extra they could afford to make up for all his troubles.

As Tima passed, she bowed low and gracefully. "Thank you once more, Mr. Namid, for your generosity and assistance. It is…a very rare attribute, which we appreciate most profoundly."

Namid's eyes twinkled and he nearly let out a chuckle at Tima's regal performance.

"Why you're quite welcome, lassie. Anything to be of service to your royal highness."

Tima paused for a moment, calculating that Mr. Namid's response was another one of his colorful colloquiums (though one that sounded a bit too much like something the former Duke would have said for her comfort), and quickly passed to follow Kenichi.

A second later, she heard an abrupt gasp, followed by a stammer.

"Uh, darlin', you, uh…your bag, it's uh, wigglin-?"

Tima glanced over her shoulder to her knapsack, still filled with the rats that she intended on releasing once they got home.

"Yes, I know."

She hurried to follow Kenichi, who waited at the end of tunnel, attempting to wipe the sludge off of his clothes. Namid could only raise an eyebrow as he followed her, watching two long tails poking out of her hair and swaying slightly as she walked, with the wiggling knapsack swaying off her back.

Odd characters, these two, very odd indeed.

* * *

AN: Pheew! Good thing 'bout havin' a Digimon Partner…they can frighten off wild bears! Though he could have jumped in a little sooner rather than wait and watch as I was chased halfway 'round the place *gives evil glare towards Tasermon*.

As I said, relatively short chapter, but more to come, and I hope it was a good one. I've been watchin' some of Osamu Tezuka's (the creator of the Metropolis anime) works recently, and they've really had an impact on me (did ya know Duke Red shows up in almost all his works?). The 2003 remake of _Astro Boy_ is an especially grand work, in my personal opinion. It deals with many of the same issues as Metropolis, and is much darker than the original _Astro Boy_ series (but it makes the endin' so much sweeter)! I'd sincerely recommend it for anyone who liked Metropolis. It's available to watch for free on the website Hulu…no subscription, log-ons, or sign-ups needed. It's good, legal, and safe!

All constructive criticism welcome! Please no more rotten food though…we don't want the wild bears to become accustomed to humans…and I don't have enough funds for plastoic surgery at the moment. Thanks!


	7. Close Calls and Wishes on Rainbows

AN: Yoinks! Holidays were a busy time, and with Spring comes beautiful foliage (and not-so-beautiful allergies that keep me in bed for a week at a time)! I had hoped to get this chapter out sooner, but it didn't work out that way. It was also originally much longer, but I didn't like the way the chapter seemed to flow, so I did a little slice-and-dice and will put some of the cut ideas into future chapters instead. Please feel free to comment on whether or not ya think the character development is good, and also what ya think of the dialogue ('specially the ratio of dialogue to descriptive text, 'cause I'm not too sure as to whether or not I have a good balance goin' on). And if there are any mistakes, even minor ones, please feel free to point 'em out so I can improve in the future (hopefully). Also, as always, there are homages to other sci-fi animes and fantasies spread throughout, so see if can find any and earn a special Metropolis Merit Badge! (Metropolis Merit Badges available for only 3 easy payments of $29.95 + S&H, state sales taxes may apply, sorry no CODs)

And thanks to **Gear001** for the BETA read!

Also, I've noticed that due to new format changes on the FFNet website, my section dividers no longer appear in the previous chapters, which makes for a confusing read. I'm working to correct it, my apologies (evil glare at FFNet format changes).

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 7: Close Calls and Wishes on Rainbows

"Oh my gosh!"

Namid shuddered at the high-pitched squeal.

"It's a 2G-Heavy-Fork-Lifter from NERV Heavy Industries! They stopped making these 30 years ago! I didn't think there were any left!"

Tima looked over Namid shoulder as he sat opposite them at the table. "His name is Shinji."

Namid braced for another high-pitched squeal.

"Shinji! What a great name! Oh! Oh! Let me guess! The 'S' stands for 'second generation', the 'h' stands for 'heavy', the 'i' is for integrated and…oh…my…gosh! It has the original gear casings! And they're barely dinged! I can't believe it! Have the treads ever been realigned, 'cause they almost loo-…Oh my gosh! It's a Plato-3! With original antennae!"

Namid's eyebrow almost seemed to twitch.

"Er, sorry 'bout Bottles, he just gets a bit excited, ya know, a real fanatic when it comes to machines. Kinda reminds me of myself when I was in my youth."

"Aaahhhkkk! Look at that! Oh my gosh, do you know what this is?"

A vein on Namid's forehead was beginning was beginning to pulse.

"Then again, maybe not quite _that_ enthusiastic." He turned his head around to the seemingly hyperactive fellow, "Hey, Bottles! Tone it down, will ya!"

The man, nick-named Bottles presumably for his skinny stature and the thick bottle-lens glasses that he wore, didn't seem to pay any attention. He was like a kid in a candy store. And while Kenichi could certainly appreciate his enthusiasm, not all of the robots working to unload their newest family members from the cart-train knew what to think of having their own one-man fan club.

While Namid was able to get most of the cart-train crew to "look the other way", and let him handle the "cargo" for this particular trip, he was still required to have a driver. And so, he had requested the one man he felt trustworthy enough (even if it was just because his innocent curiosity blinded him to everything else) to do the job.

Oddly enough, when Tima had asked him if Bottles was his real name, Namid had blushed embarrassingly and admitted that he didn't know what his true name was. They had all just called him Bottles for as long as anybody could remember.

He appeared to be a nice enough person though, and so far all of his (many) questions had been about technical specifications and engineering. He hadn't questioned why the robots had names or about what their function in the commune was, or even why there didn't appear to be any other humans around. Kenichi was actually quite impressed with knowledge of all the robots, and so far Bottles had been able to identify every type and model he had seen (Tima excluded, of course) and even notice any modifications they had.

Kenichi thought Bottles could be quite an asset, since he apparently knew more about robots than just about anybody else he'd met. But the way he was gushing over every mechanical thing and person who came into view made Kenichi wonder just how likely it was that he could truly keep to himself the things that he'd seen here. While Bottles certainly didn't seem to have any malice, Kenichi was starting to wonder if he might spill the beans just to express his sheer amazement to everybody he met. Luckily, Namid had seen the look on Kenichi's face and, having interpreted the internal question correctly, promised them he would take Bottles aside before they left and have a word with him, to keep him in line.

However, right now Kenichi was almost wishing that Namid shared Bottles' blinding enthusiasm.

"So…there is nobody else?"

"That's right."

"Ever?"

"Hmm-mmm," nodded Kenichi.

Namid's brows seemed to shrink until they formed a solid, fuzzy line.

"Now, I understand the need for secrecy, but don't ya be tryin' to pull a fast one on me now. If your associates don't wanna come out, that's fine-" he made a sweeping gesture across the courtyard and the buildings that lined it, "-but don't be makin' up stories 'bout ya bein' all alone up here."

"But it is the truth," interjected Tima

"Just how d'ya expect me to believe that ya came by all this? Took it all yourselves?"

"The robots found the place when they were still performing routine maintenance before the Great Fall. We think it had already been abandoned for some time, but we don't know for sure."

"Uh-huh," Namid's voice had a slight tone of skepticism, "and just how did ya come by all these other robots? Thought I had the motherload of the scrappers, only ta find out ya already got near as many just lyin' 'round! I know ya told me to expect a welcomin' party, but I wasn't expectin' a whole bloody village!"

Kenichi's voice took a firm tone. "I wish I could've told you everything before, but we really needed your help, and I didn't want you to become any more involved than you needed to be. For both your safety and ours."

"Thanks for the sentiments kid, but that doesn't explain how ya've managed to aquire so many, or what yer puttin' 'em to work for."

Kenichi sighed. "Tima and I were friends with some of them before the Great Fall," he gestured towards Fifi and some of the others who had gathered around the table to listen in. "With all the chaos that followed, most of them weren't needed anymore, and then others came who also had nowhere else to go. Some were damaged, so we tried our best to repair them. And then word kind of spread, and even robots who still had jobs wanted to spend time here, and…well…"

Namid was silent for a long moment.

"…So, ya mean to tell me, that you two are the only ones here, and all these 'bots are here just 'cause they wanna?"

Both Kenichi and Tima nodded.

"And ya don't actually own any of 'em? They're here of their own quirk?"

Kenichi nodded. Tima was confused at the use of the word "quirk", but seeing Kenichi's response, nodded nonetheless.

"And me, Bottles, and Scruffs," he gestured towards the cart-train driver and his own robot assistant, a cleaning robot that actually didn't look much different than Fifi other than it had a more robust shape, slightly smaller wheel treads, and more human-like arm attachments, "just delivered 'nother hundred and thirty ta add ta your collection?"

"One hundred and thirty-three," corrected Tima.

"And ya plan on repairin' the lot of 'em, by yourselves?"

"Kenichi is very good at repairing robots," replied Tima.

Kenichi blushed, "Actually, they know who to repair themselves most of the time. I just help out where I can."

Namid was silent for a minute more before speaking again.

"And what d'ya plan to do with 'em, when they're all up and runnin' again?"

"Uh…we don't really plan to do anything with them. What they wish to do once they are repaired is up to them."

Namid tried to remember the last time he was this confused.

"Now look, I know they ain't exactly compatible fer an assembly line, but surely ya can think of somethin' to make a bit of production outta 'em. A few hundred 'bots ain't nothin' ta shake a stick at."

Tima's face scrunched up in a confused (and to Kenichi, a very cute) expression.

"Sticks composed of what?"

"Err, sorry missy, just an expression? What I mean is that…er…this ain't the time to be goin' 'round and settin' up for own personal robot petting zoo. It's illegal to own unregistered 'bots, ya know! 'Specially if ya ain't puttin' 'em to work! People ain't in a charitable move towards mechanical pets right now! If they find out you're harborin' a few hundred of…well…I mean…they'll treat 'em like fugitives! And YOU along with 'em! We're talikn' some serious trouble."

"Beep beep beep bop bop beep beep bop beep…beeeepp!" Kenichi's retort was cut off by a rant from Fifi.

"Uh…what was that?"

"He objects to being called a pet," interpreted Tima, a slight look of indignation on her face as well.

Namid huffed. "Sorry. Now look, I understand what you're tryin' to do here. Scruffs over there is like a brother to me. Actually, better than a brother, at least Scruffs doesn't hit my last bottle of whiskey…oh, uh, but anyway, the point is, ya'll are bit young to be goin' 'round and gettin' yourselves into this much trouble. And this _IS_ trouble, even by the underworld standards. I don't mean ta rant on ya, I'll admit I have a soft spot for 'bots in trouble, as well you know…but that doesn't mean I wanna see two fine young folks like yourselves…err…ah, what tha heck!"

Kenichi and Tima were both taken aback.

"I guess what I mean to say is, I've grown attached to ya little tikes, and I don't want nothin' bad happenin' to ya's, understand?"

The young couple shared a smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Namid. We're really glad that you want to look out for us, and for everything that you've done for us. But we can't stop now. They're depending on us to see this through to the end."

"And just when is the end?" replied Namid. "After ya get this batch fixed, then what? There'll always be more out there, and ya can only take it so far…what's yer limit?"

At this, Kenichi shook his head, "I don't know. But I can't refuse to help somebody who's in need, be they robot or human, so I won't stop until I've done all that I can."

Tima intertwined her hand with his, under the table.

Namid sighed, "Aw, bloody heck! Guess I ain't got no right to complain. I just hope ya two know where this might lead to…"

Now it was Tima and Kenichi who were left to ponder in silence for a moment.

"Well, anyway…as long as I'm here, might as well see if there's anythin' else I can do to help ya out. Come on, lad and lassie, why don't ya show me tha layout, if'n ya don't mind, that is?"

Kenichi shook his head, and Tima followed his example. It was the least they could do.

"Hey Bottles! Come on already and stop gawkin'! We're gonna take a peek in the workshop!"

"Oh, er, coming!" Bottles followed, almost accidentally tripping over his seemingly oversized boots in the process.

* * *

"Hey, a BURN-E model Weld-bot! Ain't you a cute little tyke? Say, you know if you use a plastic intake hose instead of this rubber one, it'll last longer and have less chance of icing up?"

"Uh, thanks."

Kenichi was blushing. He knew that he was guessing around a good deal of the time when he repaired his friends, but the way Bottles kept casually pointing out ways to enhance or improvement his work on nearly every robot made Kenichi very self-aware as to just how little he really did know. Namid didn't say much out loud, but by the way he was also apprising the workshops, and slightly nodding his head to most of what Bottles said, Kenichi had a feeling that he too knew of a quite a few things that could be done to improve efficiency. Even Scruffs, Namid's robotic assistant, who had come in from helping to unload the cart train, was casually re-arranging several of the tool shelves.

He wasn't expecting a standing ovation, but Kenichi had felt quite proud at the work he had done thus far, and he now realized that perhaps he was secretly hoping that his visitors would perhaps share in that pride as well. Instead, he was found himself somewhat reliving the feeling of back when he was in school and was lightly scolded by the teacher a poor mark on a project, and then told how he could improve his efforts in the future.

"You know kid, this setup really ain't half-bad. If you change it up a bit, you could really have a grade-A repair shop set up here. Of course, you're a bit low on parts, but on the other hand, some of this stuff is really hard to come by. That 500-watt battery recharger with the old ISL plug converter is really hard to come by! And so is that tri-head wrench for the Imp wheel gears! Just where did you find some of this stuff?"

"Now, Bottles, let's not be pesterin' 'em with questions they don't need to answer. We all know what it was like after the Fall. I seem to recall someone havin' come into several slightly-dented deluxe tool-sets and a Mitsu-Heavy battery just a few days after the dust settled."

Bottles quickly grew a blush of his own.

"Eh, of course, I see what you mean. Say…what's this thing do?" Bottles said curiously, pointing to a large, cylindrical container with a multitude of wires, hoses, and tubes attached, next to small collection of various gauges, tanks, and computer processors.

_Oh crud! _Thought Kenichi, _Tima's regeneration tank! I forgot!_ He quickly cursed his absentmindedness. Here in the conclave, Tima's origins were no secret and Kenichi had grown so used to seeing the chamber every time he was in this workshop, that he had didn't even think of how Namid and his friends would react to it!

Bottles approached the chamber, trying to look at it from a different angle.

"It almost looks like something out of a sci-fi film-"

"BEEP BEEP BEEP BOP BEEP!"

"WHIRZ WHIP WEEP WEEP!"

"HONK! HER-HONK!"

"CLINK-CLANK! CLANK! CL-CLANK!"

Bottles suddenly found himself besieged by an assortment of robots from all sides by a menagerie of robots, including Fifi and, surprisingly, Scruffs!

"Aacck!"

"Scruffs! What in bloody Hades are you doin'! Get off of him!"

Kenichi quickly ran forward.

"It's okay! It's okay! He won't touch it. He didn't mean any harm."

The robots froze for a second, contemplating the situation. Tima gave a small, barely noticeable nod, and they released their captive, who nearly collapsed and let loose a sigh of release.

Namid turned to Tima and Kenichi, a mixture of disbelief and anger on his face.

"What in the name of-"

"We're sorry! It's just that, the…um…well, it's special to them. They were just protecting it. They didn't know that he didn't mean any harm, but they do now, and it won't happen again, I swear!" Kenichi rambled nervously.

Namid raised his eyebrow, "Bottles? A threat? A threat to what…a mosquito maybe? What the heck is that thing?"

"It's just very important to them, that's all."

"Important how?" he turned to Scruffs, "And have your brain bolts rusted? You don't even know what that thing is! Are your wires crossed?"

Scruffs cowered back, making soft mechanical noises that sounded suspiciously like whimpers.

"Please do not be angry with him," pleaded Tima. "They were protecting me. I apologize. I should have informed you before, but I did not foresee their reaction. I am sorry."

Now Kenichi felt really guilty. Tima was apologizing, and it wasn't even her fault! And Namid was even more confused.

"You? Missy, I think that they were tryin' to protect that pile of scrap over there, not your soft little hide. No need ta apologize on their behalf, but what the heck is goin' on?"

Tima's face crinkled in thought for a moment before replying, "It is very important to me. They were just trying to protect me from any harm that might come as a result to it being inadvertently damaged."

"Eh? Come again?"

"It is the origin of my soul."

"Whuh-What?"

"Kenichi is the architect, however. His affection and kindness serves as the primary catalyst."

Kenichi blushed deeply. Namid and Bottles gaped openly.

"Wh-what?"

"It's hers, the machine," explained Kenichi. "It's, uh…it has sentimental value. It was her first machine, and she poured her soul into it!" It sounded rather cliché and rushed, but he hoped it would obscure Tima's response enough to end the inquiry.

"…But, what does it do?"

Apparently not.

"Uh, well, it was really just an experiment more than anything. It started out as one thing, but just sort of turned into something else along the way." Kenichi was afraid that he was starting to drown himself – and everyone else – in vague half-truths.

"Huh. I've known bots that were the sentimental type, but this is a bit overboard," said Namid, who then turned to Tima. "Well, it seems that you're somethin' awfully special 'round here," he let out a small huff. "It must be that cute button nose o' yours."

Kenichi let out a breath and his body, which had gone stiff without his realization, seemed to melt into pudding. Tima had the strange urge to reach up and rub her nose, but resisted.

"Well then," shouted Namid, "I think that's 'nough of the tour for now. Why don't we go check and see how your new arrivals are doin'?" Tima and Kenichi nodded, and they left for the unloading area. "Oh, and Bottles?" called Namid as the scrawny tech turned and nodded. "Don't try ta touch anythin' else that ya don't know what it is, okay?"

Bottles blushed and mumbled a soft apology. Kenichi felt increasingly guilty over their treatment of the well-meaning man. It certainly didn't reflect well on their role as hosts, and even less so on their role as potential friends. This day was supposed to be one of joy. And now he was having ever-more worries; ever-increasing doubts. Why did it seem that he was always on verge of losing what he wanted, just when he had figured out what it was that he really wanted to begin with?

Suddenly, Kenichi felt a small tug, and glanced down to see a hand intertwining with his. He looked up, and saw Tima's bright face. Her smile was small, but it seemed to wipe away all his worries and paint his dark thoughts in a rainbow of colors. She was like the overworld of towering spires on the surface of Metropolis, and she was shining down and lighting up the levels of the underworld for all to see. And though they were, in reality, stuck in the dark, real underworld for now, she turned their humble dwelling into the most comfortable home Kenichi had ever lived in.

Instead of thoughts about what he almost lost, Kenichi's mind turned to thoughts of what he had gained.

And he found himself with a smile that matched hers.

* * *

"Well lad, we thank ya fer yer hospitality, but 'tis time we be goin' off now."

It was now drawing on evening, and in the underground levels of Metropolis, the shadows grew long and twilight, which would not fall on the world above for at least another hour, was already setting in.

"Thanks once again for showin' us around, you've got a really great set-up here! Best of luck!" Bottles shook both of their hands vigorously. After all the comments about possible improvements that Bottles had made Kenichi felt slightly taken aback by the gratitude and pride in his voice, and felt a small blush spreading to his cheeks.

They saw their friends off to the cart-train, with Fifi and several other robots accompanying them. Just before he was loaded up, Scruffs turned around and, as best he could, bowed deeply at Tima, and took her hand.

She blushed, "Oh, thank you."

Namid's face briefly turned to a strange mix of queer and question, but quickly shrugged it off and smiled. He too took Tima's hand and then turned to offer a hearty handshake to Kenichi. In a strange turn, after a few seconds, the handshake had somehow turned into a full-blown hug, with a tearful Kenichi crying softly into Namid's shoulder.

"There-there lad," Namid whispered gently. "Looked like ya needed a hug. Can tell you've been a mite tense all day."

"S-Sorry. I dibn't mean to…" Kenichi's words were muffled by Namid's thick jacket.

" 'Tis okay lad. Ya know, some folk will say it's not right fer a real man to cry, but don't ya pay 'em any heed, ya hear? Perfectly fine to wet yer cheeks once in a while. Keeps 'em rosy red, and pretty for the lassies, my mama used to say. And you've got such a fine lass, t'be a shame to let those cheeks go to waste, eh?"

Kenichi nodded his head against Namid's shoulder.

"Now I know things have been hard ya, and ya probably a more than mite scared n' all, but you've got a fine head on shoulders and some good friends at yer side. And you've done a fine job here, a really fine job! I'm proud a' ya boy."

With that, Kenichi sobbed even harder. For some reason, those words seemed to make all his pain and worries lift up just a little, and his muscles suddenly seemed to melt as he released the massive tension he had been subconsciously holding in.

Tima watched on in concern, not knowing what to do exactly, but feeling strangely compelled to let the two continue. Inside, she found herself relieved that Kenichi was releasing the stress that she knew was building up inside him, but was also puzzled, and almost a bit…hurt?...that Kenichi had chosen to do so in the company of Namid. But why should she feel that way?

Bottles sheepishly looked away from the cab of the cart-train, while the robots looked on curiously, some with sympathy. After several minutes (which seemed much longer, and at the same time, far too short to the participants), Namid and Kenichi parted, the younger male looking relieved, drained, and very tired. The older one had a small smile on his face (and a large damp spot on his jacket).

Kenichi sheepishly mumbled a mix of thanks, apologies, and good-byes. Namid nodded, patted the boy on his shoulder for good measure, and turned around to wish Tima a final farewell before heading to the cab of the cart-train.

"Take care of 'im well, lass. A fine young women should keep 'im in good spirits, ya hear?"

Tima nodded, seeming to understand the meaning behind his words, if not the actual words themselves.

As the cart-train began to gain steam, turning around in the plaza to make towards the same tunnel it had come through, Tima approached Kenichi, wrapping her hand in his. Kenichi made the unexpected move of laying his head on Tima's shoulder. Though taller than her by several inches, it felt very wonderful to Tima in a way she couldn't describe, and she allowed it until the cart-train had departed and the commune had become relatively quiet again.

* * *

"Was it good?" asked Kenichi, as he put away the cups and plates (or what passed for cups and plates) from the evening meal. They had eaten later than usual, spending what remaining daylight there was checking up on their new family members and beginning to make plans for the repairs.

"Yes," answered Tima.

Kenichi gulped, "A-Are you sure? You didn't say much during the meal. You've been kind of quiet since this afternoon."

"So have you," she pointed out.

"I…guess so."

"Why were you crying when Namid hugged you?" she asked, out of the blue.

Kenichi flinched, "I…I guess that when he hugged me, it just felt…good…and then I…I guess a lot of the tension that I built up just…let itself out."

"You have been very tense lately."

"I know. I'm sorry"

"Why?"

"It's not fair to you that I've been so stressed. I know that you've been very-"

"-No."

"Huh?"

"I do not want to know why you are sorry. I want to know why you have been 'tense'."

Kenichi looked down at his feet, "I…I know things have been going pretty well recently, and that I should be happy at our good fortune…and, I am." Tima waited patiently as Kenichi struggled to find the words to express himself. "It's just…I-I keep getting this feeling that things are going to just…go wrong. That they're going to collapse around us!"

Tima's brow furrowed, "This area is not in danger of structural collapse. We have checked it thoroughly."

Kenichi would have almost laughed had he not been so anxious.

"No, that's not what I meant. I…It means that I worry that everything that we've accomplished will end in failure. That we'll be found out and that everyone will be destroyed! That you'll be taken away! Namid was right, we can't just keep go on hiding forever and hope to not be found, especially with there being so many more of us now. What will happen to you if something goes wrong? I spend so much time worrying about you that I-"

"You have been worrying about me?" Tima interrupted.

Kenichi let it all out, "Of course I worry about you! You're the most important thi-…_person_ in my life!"

To his dismay, Tima looked rather hurt, "Then…I am the cause of your tension?"

"Wha-? No! Well, yes, maybe. A little. Okay, more than a little, but it's not just you! I've grown so attached to everyone here…you've all become like family to me, and I just don't want anything bad to happen to any of you!"

"You have not lost any of us!"

"Not yet, but we've had some close calls!"

"We are doing well, and we will continue to do so, even if we are discovered."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you have promised to take care of us, and Kenichi does not break his promises."

Tears again threatened to stream from Kenichi's eyes, "I-I want…to keep my promise, more than anything…I do, but…I just…I-I just don't-…"

Kenichi felt himself being enveloped in another hug.

"Do not worry. The burden does not fall upon you alone. I will help you. We will all help you."

"I'm sorry…" the tears fell freely now.

"You have placed the burden of being our protector solely on yourself. I apologize for not fully understanding this before. I believe you have been trying to spare us the responsibilities that you have assumed under your leadership in an attempt to spare us from pain."

"L-Leadership?"

Tima ignored his mumblings, "You are very compassionate and kind Kenichi. But the responsibility is ours to bear as well as yours. Just as it troubles you to see us worry, it distresses us when you take the entire burden upon yourself. Your emotional and mental health is important to us. You put yourself at risk and worry us greatly when you possibly compromise your wellbeing in guarding us."

Kenichi was silent for a long moment before replying, "…Y-You know Tima, you've grown very…wise. I'm sorry that I haven't been placing as much faith in you lately as…I should have. I've been taking it all upon myself so you wouldn't have to worry…but all that did was make matters worse and worry you even more. I'm so sorry."

Tima nodded against his shoulder, "Please promise that you will vent your frustrations more openly. We wish to help you with the burden."

"Yes, I promise."

"It was not rational for you to unload your tensions on Namid, when I was also willing to help alleviate your fears."

This time Kenichi did laugh, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were almost jealous."

Tima made a small pout, "Namid is a friend, but he has not invested himself in you as emotionally as I have. I am your partner; you should express your concerns to me first."

He stroked her hair as they gently parted, thinking how lucky he was to have her.

"You're right…again. I guess I've been acting more than a bit foolishly lately, huh?"

She smiled, "All is forgiven. Come, you need to rest from the stresses of the past day."

Tima led him by the hand to their small palette, where they both fell asleep rather quickly, snuggled against each other.

* * *

Let me know what ya think!

Also, remember to beg your parents to order your Metropolis Merit Badges (Metropolis Merit Badges available for only 3 easy payments of $29.95 + S&H, state sales taxes may apply, sorry no CODs), and also to order our new GOLDEN-EXTRA-SHINY-PLUTONIUM-PLATINUM Metropolis Merit Badges!! (only $130 extra, plus additional S&H.)

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	8. In for a Pound

AN: Phew, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out! I originally planned (hoped) that I could do a chapter a month, but with my new work keepin' me so busy, it looks like I'll only be able to push out a chapter every two to three months for right now. To help make up for it, this particular chapter is abit longer than some others. It does have some good action scenes, 'specially at the beginnin' and the end, but it's also very dialogue and descriptive-writing heavy, 'specially in the middle. I hope it doesn't drag on too much, but if it does, just remember that there's a surprise at the end…_no_, not _that_ kind of surprise, ya perverts!

I'd like to think everyone who reviewed the last chapter; **Samurai Pizza Cat**, I hope this makes ya one happy panda (maybe I churn out the next chapter before pandas go extinct, eh?). Also thanks to everyone who favorite this story. And of course to **Gear001** for the beta read. Remember, if anyone sees any problems with a chapter, I wanna hear 'bout it. With this specific chapter, I'm 'specially concerned with length and pace.

And for Godzilla's sake, order your Metropolis badges already! Call in next 7 minutes and I'll take an additional 3% off the purchase price! (Additional 15% shipping charge applies to discount purchase price).

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 8: In for a Pound

It felt cold.

Kenichi instinctively drowsily shifted to his left side, in the hopes that warmth would soon follow.

It didn't.

The chill crept further into the confines of the blanket and he began to shiver. Eyes finally opened, Kenichi realized he was alone in the room. That would explain the lack of heat. Tima had fallen asleep on his left side, and though she wasn't fully flesh and bone, she still put out a fair amount of body heat. Sometimes Tima would wake up before he did and he occasionally wondered if perhaps she required less sleep than he did. But usually she would stay by his side until he woke up as well. She could have used the time to do any number of the seemingly endless tasks that needed to be done, but a silent agreement had formed that they would start the day together and then have morning meal, and that they would also end the day together with evening meal and then fall asleep next to each other. On the rare occasions that he would wake up before her, he too would stay and keep watch until she awoke.

So it was very unusual that he would wake up so cold and alone in the morning, with the sun not even fully up yet and the room smelling faintly of smoke.

…Wait…_smoke?_

Kenichi bolted up, now fully awake but his senses still groggy, and stubbed his knee against the door frame as he rushed into the kitchen area. Tima was at the far end of the wall, staring wide-eyed at the smoking crock-pot and the burnt, unidentifiable remains of breakfast that lay inside.

His first, split-second reaction was to rush over to his partner and cover her with his body, blocking her from the view of the burning appliance. He knew that there was little danger. Their home was made mostly of non-flammable materials, and the floor was concrete. Had he stopped to think, he would have realized that there hadn't even been any flames, just smoke from the burnt foodstuffs.

But instinct had taken hold and he held himself around her, hugging her to his chest. After several seconds, having time to think, he was trying to decide whether to nudge her away and then kick the pot over, or to just usher her out of the kitchen altogether, when he heard a familiar set of clomping treads, followed by a strange hissing sound.

Both he and Tima turned around to see that the ever-loyal Fifi had once again come to their rescue, standing over the now wet and smoldering crock-pot with an empty pail, which a second earlier had been filled with water. Fifi looked over at them with alarm, let out a shrill of beeps and boops, and quickly began to physically check them over for damage, all somehow without separating their now loose hold on each other.

Kenichi was finally able to find his voice, "Yes, we're fine, thank you!"

"Beep beep beep boop bop beep bop?"

"Yes, I…I'm sure…" He looked over to Tima for confirmation, who nodded slightly at his assertion, though she was still seemingly shaken up.

"We are fine. Thank you very much for coming to our aid Fifi," confirmed Tima.

"Beep boop beep…" Fifi pointed to the doorway, where a small troupe of outdated, mouse-shaped, fire-fighting bots had assembled, their small red lights flashing and strobing atop their small mechanical bodies. Behind them, a larger crowd of robots had begun to appear. Apparently they had woken up the entire family.

The young couple both found themselves blushing, slightly embarrassed.

"Everything's okay! We're fine, thanks!" Kenichi shouted out to the assembled menagerie.

With a few assertive beeps and boops from Fifi, they dispersed, heading off to begin their next work shift or complete their tasks for the day.

Tima moved past him and scooped up one of the remaining fire-fighting bots, holding it close to her cheek and whispering something (Kenichi couldn't make out what exactly, though he imagined it was words of praise and thanks to pass on to the others). The red light stopped flashing and retracted into his small body. Kenichi was suddenly glad the fire-fighting bots hadn't decided to turn on their sirens as well and start screeching at the whole camp…or was it that their sirens were damaged and hadn't been repaired yet? With some shame, he realized that he couldn't remember, but he silently vowed to find out and move any of their repairs up on his priority list.

Stirred from his thoughts, he saw Tima now conversing with Fifi, the fire-fight bot still in her hand, while another one was now "sniffing" around the pot, focusing on the bottom chamber that held the battery-converter pack, which was now charred and black. Kenichi approached, crouched down, and checked the appliance for heat. Finding none, he turned it over, spilling the dirty water and burnt remains of what was presumably breakfast over the floor. He'd clean it up once he was done.

The fire-fighter rolled up and over the upturned crock-pot, ran a few circles over the battery chamber, and beeped up at Kenichi, declaring in a distorted mechanical voice that it was okay to open it (the fire-fighting robots came equipped with limited voice interaction, in order to warn and advise people who may have been in potentially dangerous situations). Kenichi did so, and after prying the slightly-warped cover away, he found the crisp and melted remains of the battery, which was undoubtedly the cause of the incident.

He looked up, only to find Fifi and Tima, with the other fire-fighting robot now on her shoulder, leaning over him.

"It looks like the battery failed and caused the heating pad to malfunction and overheat. I…I'm sorry…I should've been there to check it."

A strange look passed briefly over Tima's face, which Kenichi belatedly realized was shame, and before he could stop her, she launched into an apology of her own.

"No, it was my fault for not waking you to help prepare the morning meal, and also for not seeking your assistance when the cooker began to burn. I did not act quickly enough." She turned to Fifi, "Thank you once again for coming to our rescue. I apologize the trouble that I've caused."

Fifi was quick to beep out that she hadn't caused any trouble, and neither had Kenichi. After a few more beeps and boops of reassurance, Fifi began to depart, the fire-fighting bots leaving as well, with one scurrying off Tima's shoulder and down her back.

Just before leaving through the doorway, Fifi turned around, "Beep beep bep beep bop boop beep?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, no thanks," replied Kenichi.

"Beep boooop?"

"Don't worry, we have some dry food, and there are still some canned goods so we'll be fine for breakfast, and I'll try to get a new cooker soon."

"Beep beep beeop boop."

"Thank you for checking around, Fifi. Let us know if you find one."

Fifi nodded and left.

Kenichi turned around. He didn't know what, exactly, the expression on Tima's face was, or why it made him react the way he did so, but he soon found himself enveloping her in a hug and whispering to her that everything was okay and that the incident was _not_ her fault, and that he was extremely glad that she was safe, most of all.

* * *

"Tima…" Kenichi faced her from across the small table as he finished pouring her a bowl of (slightly stale) bran cereal, "I…I'm not upset at all that you wanted to make the morning meal without me…but, well, _why_ did you? Is…does my cooking…is it bad? You always seemed to like it before?"

"No!" she gasped, "It's not that at all! I have always appreciated your cooking, Kenichi! That is why…I had wanted to prepare the morning meal on my own this time. I knew that this day would prove stressful for you, so I…wanted to prepare the food as a gesture of appreciation for your actions and to help alleviate your daily routine."

Yes, today would undoubtedly prove very interesting. They had received word that Atlas was available to meet with them today, hopefully to give them an emergency electric generator, which they desperately needed with the still ongoing brown-outs and power failures. Apparently Tima was becoming even more creative in her attempts to keep Kenichi as relaxed as possible and split the work load with him.

"You…thank you. That…really means a lot to me Tima. But, you didn't really have to. I would have been more than happy to help cook."

"I know. But I wanted to do it."

"I…I missed having you there when I woke up this morning."

"I'm sorry. I had hoped to have breakfast prepared by the time you awoke. Then we could have had breakfast while in bed…like how you did the same for me two days ago…"

Kenichi remembered. Just after Namid had dropped off their newest additions things were hectic and Tima had begun to worry more than ever about how the stress was negatively affecting him. In an attempt to show her his appreciation for her concern, and to show her that he was making an effort to relax, he had decided to treat her to breakfast in bed. Only…she had already awoken and he asked her to wait in bed while he made the meal for her.

Her attempts to help carry his burdens only made what he had to say next even harder…

"I really appreciate it. I promise that you can make me breakfast again just as soon as we get a new cooker."

"Perhaps we could attempt to acquire one from the market after we have met with Atlas…though the ones that I saw for sale at the stalls previously were too expensive for us to currently purchase. Perhaps you could…hag-gle…with a vendor to lower the price." Tima generally left the purchasing up to Kenichi, since she had yet to understand fully the nuances of trade and economic exchange.

Tima went to go place some of their now empty dishes in the basin under the pipe that served as their sink, taking out some soap and a small towel. Her back was facing Kenichi as he spoke.

"Um…actually, Tima…I was thinking that…perhaps I should be the one who-"

"No."

"Wh-what?"

"You were about to suggest that perhaps you should meet with Atlas alone, thus minimizing any potential risks to my welfare, and the welfare of our family."

Kenichi sat back, aghast at her firm attitude in telling him she would not let him go alone…

"However, in doing so, you would further increase the risk to yourself and place yourself in even more unnecessary danger for the sake of protecting me. You would also be once again placing the burden of our family's protection and wellbeing entirely upon yourself alone."

"…"

Tima continued washing dishes, letting the weight of her words sink in, her back still towards her partner.

"I cannot allow that to happen anymore, Kenichi. I understand how you feel about our safety and what we mean to you. You…mean just as much to us…especially to me," she whispered.

"…"

"This is why I cannot allow you to carry the burden alone. We will both meet with Atlas and we will face the outcome of our visit together, okay Kenichi? …Kenichi?"

She turned around, only to find an empty room.

* * *

_Tima is going to __kill__ me!_

Kenichi panted as he ran past the courtyard and out of the conclave into the tunnels beyond. Within a minute he had passed by the small robot that was on watch that morning at the far end of the main passage and he began his way upwards toward the primary level of Zone 1. He had to pause for a split second after nearly stumbling to rearrange his off-balanced and hastily attached backpack.

Oh yeah, she was going to kill him, alright.

Not literally, of course.

…At least, he hoped not literally.

Tima was a very hard person to aggravate and was even harder to truly anger. Even then, she wouldn't shout or resort to acts of violence. To some, this may have made her look tame, but Kenichi was becoming quite familiar with the body language she had begun to form to suit her personality, and to him, her cold stares and refusal to speak or touch or even smile might as well have been a simmering volcano.

And this was possibly the most he had ever angered her since she had reawakened, he thought.

They had just had an argument over their roles in supporting each other and sharing their burdens and increasing their communication only a few days prior. And he had already, and knowingly, broken their new agreement.

_She might even feed my remains to the pigeons and the doves…maybe the rats and mice too._

But even though he understood everything they had agreed to, and even if he supported it in principle, this was one time he just couldn't allow it. It was just too dangerous. He was walking (running, actually) straight into the proverbial lion's den; the supposed home base of a man who, at best, saw robots as pawns used by others trying to create trouble and hardship, and now possibly saw robots as the cause of the problem themselves. No, this was too dangerous for her, no matter how strong she was. Of course, he was now trying very hard to ignore the fact that he was going into the exact same dangerous situation…alone…with no support.

And if he managed to make it back, there was little doubt the situation that he faced at home would be much _much_ worse than the one he was about to confront. After all, as dangerous as Atlas may have become, at least he didn't have to share a bedroom with him afterwards.

…If Tima would even allow him to sleep inside the house anymore, that is.

* * *

He reached the appointed meeting place, and as they were expecting him (he hoped that they were anyway), all he had to do was tell a not-too descript gentleman at the base of the building his name and a password that he had been told to repeat in the form of an innocent, but vague, question.

"So, uh, do you by any chance know where I can get any _apples_?

The man, quite a bit taller and larger than him, with a rough brown beard, overalls, dark plaid shirt, an old post-man's hat, and a cigar hanging from his mouth, gave him a very odd look and rolled his eyes.

"Wait here. I'll check inside."

Kenichi had decided that subtlety and code-words weren't his strong points. This was especially true since the imposing brick building in front of him was in an overwhelmingly residential district surrounded by other _very_ overcrowded brick buildings, with the only eateries around being drinking establishments…and bars in the Underground weren't exactly known for their variety of fresh fruits.

The strange notion of possibly allaying Tima's wrath with a batch of fresh fruits had suddenly popped into his head when the large man returned.

"Come with me."

Kenichi was so lost in nervous thought that he almost hadn't heard the man, and almost stumbled, yet again, running to catch up with him as he opened the door to the building's lobby.

He immediately had to stop himself from stumbling, _again_, as he nearly tripped over an elderly gentleman who was lying down near the door frame. As Kenichi's eyes adjusted to the near-darkness of the room, he found nearly every available packed with people. People on cots, people in makeshift tents, people sitting on blankets and cushions. People of all ages, types, races, ethnicities, and descriptions. People coughing, hacking, sleeping, smoking, playing, tending to babies, laughing and talking in almost every language he had ever heard (and quite a few he had never heard). The smells and the heat were almost overwhelming, even compared to the packed streets outside the building. Even though the enclave he called home could seem a bit crowded at times, it was a paradise compared to this place. Kenichi was suddenly very humbled as a new realization dawned on him of just how much he was asking for when he requested the generator from Atlas.

But he had to remember that while electricity could certainly make these people's lives easier, that the robots would have no life at all without it, especially the ones with severe damage or that had older battery cells. No, he needed to prioritize. If he began to feel guilty over every person he wasn't able to help, then he wouldn't be able to help anyone at all.

The man escorted him up several flights of stairs (the non-functioning elevator was out of the question, obviously), cramped with even more people sleeping in near-darkness lit by only a few small fires (anything more would have probably filled the stairwell with smoke). From there he was led through a hallway lined with mostly intact wooden doors on either side, with peeling and yellowed wallpaper that once held a simple floral design, and a very run-down carpet.

There were no people sleeping in the hall on this floor, and Kenichi suspected that the tenets, which were likely in the fortunate minority that were employed and could afford to rent an actual room, had hired an "enforcer" to keep this particular floor clear. Either that or Atlas really enjoyed his privacy. But even though Atlas may have changed a great deal, Kenichi still liked to think that he wasn't cruel enough to force an entire floor full of families out of their homes…he hoped.

They turned down two corners, and came across a faded red door like all the others, numbered 7-11, which the escort promptly knocked on in the rhythm of shave-and-a-haircut (just so long as it wasn't code for apple, Kenichi didn't care how silly it was). There was a peep-hole on the door, so whoever was on the other side could probably see them regardless.

The door opened to a dark hallway, with yet another hired hand just inside. Kenichi was led into a living room with some humble furnishings, attached to a small kitchen. There were boxes and various piles of supplies and, what Kenichi suspected to be contraband, leaning against some of the walls. He also couldn't help but notice a bowl of fruit on the coffee table. His escort gestured towards the worn sofa (at one time it had been a brilliant color of red) and ordered him to sit, and then left down another small hallway on the opposite side of the room.

Several minutes had passed and Kenichi was staring at the apples in the fruit bowl, pondering the surrealism of some of his fortunes, when he instinctively looked up, feeling a presence looking over him.

"And those who consume the fruit will gain knowledge untold, but will also bear the shame of that knowledge."

"W-what?" stumbled Kenichi.

"Sorry. It's an old biblical fable. According to the Bible, Eve, the first women, tempted Adam, the first man, with the fruit of knowledge. Both eat the fruit and gain knowledge, but with that knowledge comes the realization of their sins and evils, which brings them shame."

Atlas had changed in more ways than one. He now wore a fairly nice suit and slacks, as opposed to his earlier attire of mis-matched and dirty clothing styles that was typical in the Underground, and his hair was combed and straight, as opposed to unruly and set in a series of ponytails in the back. But more than that was the way he appeared physically.

_Tired._

He definitely looked tired; even more so than Kenichi. Like the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. There were shadows under his eyes, his skin had become pale (even for a under-dweller), his lips hid a frown, even as he tried to offer a small smile, and though he was now well-shaved, Kenichi could barely make out the beginnings of a five-o'-clock shadow across his chin and sides. But the most haunting sign of all was his eyes. His eyes seemed glazed over with hopelessness and of acceptance of a reality filled with nothing but forced circumstances beyond his control.

Kenichi wondered if Atlas was referring to himself with the analogy of knowledge gained and the shame that came with it.

"Ac-Actually, I was just thinking of Tima. I-I mean, I was thinking of the apple and Tima…I mean, giving an apple to Tima. Not this apple. Tima likes apples."

He was rambling nervously. He realized too late that he had meant to avoid any mention of Tima at all, but had failed in the first few seconds of meeting Atlas. Luckily, Atlas didn't seem to read much into it.

"You can take some of those if you like. I know food is in short supply these days, especially fresh fruit."

"Oh-uh, thank you!"

Atlas sat down in the worn stuffed chair opposite Kenichi.

"Unfortunately, that's not the only thing in short supply these days. Food, water, medical supplies, patience, understanding, hope…everything's so barren now. It's even worse than before the Revolution."

Kenichi decided to stay quiet, wondering whether this was Atlas' admission of guilt, or his way of building up to an interrogation. Perhaps it was both.

"At least back then everything was colorful and vibrant-the buildings, the markets, the people-even if it was just a façade; a way of covering up the true problems and issues that lied underneath. But now even the colorful façade is gone. The paint has faded and the structures are falling apart. We still have no schools, no reliable source of food rations, no real hospitals and no social services. And now, we're even more cramped and impoverished than before."

Atlas looked directly at Kenichi.

"There are a lot of people out there who need basic utilities, you know. Electricity is sporadic and in short supply."

"I know. And I wouldn't ask if it wasn't absolutely needed! I know that there are so many in need, and I know it's really a lot to ask for, but my fam-…my friends-the community I live, it…they really need it! Many of them have conditions…medical conditions, and they need electricity to run the medical equipment. Please! We've tried to construct one of our own, but fuel is in short supply and we couldn't get a battery with a large enough output to run the entire syst-…everything we need to keep the equipment running. It really could be a matter of life and death!"

Atlas seemed to contemplate his words for moment, looking even more tired than he had before.

Then, "Okay. You seem sincere enough. I'm sure you wouldn't ask unless it was really needed."

Kenichi smiled, "Thank you! Tima will be so happy that the…that we'll be more secure now."

He mentally chided himself for mentioning Tima openly again. Atlas responded by trying to offer a small smile. This was going much easier than Kenichi had expected.

"It's okay," responded Atlas, "It's actually good to be able to help a friend…for once. There's too much suffering now as it is."

The tired frown returned.

"Sorry," replied Kenichi.

"It's okay. I see that not all happiness has fled. You and that girl, Tima, yes? You seem to have made the best of it together."

"Y-yes," Kenichi blushed.

Atlas smiled, genuinely this time, "You stayed behind because of her, didn't you?"

Kenichi avoided Atlas' almost-smug look, his cheeks redder than the apples before him.

"Yes."

He did stay behind for her. For her and for the others…to repay their kindness and form the family he instinctively knew they all needed. Why was he telling Atlas this? Maybe his love for Tima was so overpowering that he simply _had_ to admit it, even when he was trying to avoid talking about her for her own protection. But, if that were true, then why did he just leave her behind?

* * *

"Hmph! He makes me _so_ mad sometimes!"

The left-behind girl was stomping quite angrily up the tunnel entrance towards the primary level of Zone 1. The distressed Fifi was following a step behind, trying to comfort her while also stating misgivings about her course of action.

"Beep-beep –boooop."

"I don't care! I've waited long enough!"

Tima rarely used contractions unless she was really upset. This was a bad sign.

"We agreed to go together! He agreed that we would share the burden, so why did he leave me behind? Doesn't he think that I'm strong enough to help out?"

"Beep beep blorp!"

"Then why did he go off on his own? I've waited long enough. I'll show him how strong I am…by dragging him back here by his ears!"

"BEEP bloop!"

"I don't care if I don't know the meeting pa-"

_CLANK! BANG! _

Loud noises were emanating from the tunnel ahead, where the watch bot was supposed to be on duty.

"What was that?"

"Beep bop?"

"…Clanrk-archk!" the cries of the guard robot echoed down the tunnel.

"Let's go!" shouted Tima, who raced ahead with Fifi rushing behind her.

* * *

"Heh, I know the feeling," Atlas admitted, shocking Kenichi somewhat.

"You…do?"

"Or I guess I did…once."

"…Oh."

"She's…not here anymore."

"…I…I'm sorry."

"It's…alright."

Kenichi's deep-seeded fears of losing his partner threatened to rise once again. He had to be careful.

"So, do you still do reports for your uncle?"

"Huh? Oh, yes! I still send him updates when I can!"

"And what does the outside world think of the situation in Metropolis? About the recent events?"

"I…I don't really know. They're upset about what happened, I guess. I send uncle the reports, but I don't really get any response back on what anyone thinks of them. I've…been so busy here, sometimes I don't think to ask," Kenichi blushed, this time in humiliation of his poorly constructed half-truth. "Does it really matter, to you I mean, what people outside of Metropolis think?"

Atlas sighed, "For every major catastrophe that befalls humankind, natural or man-made, people always look for someone to blame. And in this case there is plenty of blame to go around. But people don't like to divide their anger or their hatred, especially when it is impulsive. They want a name or a figure that they can associate their hatred with and direct their anger towards."

"…Oh..um…" Kenichi really didn't know how to respond.

"Have you been to the surface recently?" Atlas seemed to change the subject.

"Uh, no, I haven't."

Atlas gazed at the ceiling, as if he could see straight through to the world above.

"You really should, you know. They're starting to re-seal the breaches. Soon, there won't be much natural light left…yet another thing soon to be lost. Then the Underground will be enveloped in darkness as literal as it is now symbolic."

Kenichi still didn't know what to say.

Atlas continued, "There are a lot of rumors as to what caused the Ziggurat to collapse. Because nobody actually knows the full story behind what really happened, there have been many different versions circulated as to what occurred, and each one has a different figure to blame. Factions have begun to form. On the surface, blame has primarily centered on those involved in the failed Revolution."

Kenichi noticed that Atlas didn't call it _his_ revolution, but that he had called it a _failed_ revolution. He wondered whether or not that implied something.

"Some factions believe that the Ziggurat was the target of a terrorist faction that advocated the Revolution's cause and were angry because it had failed. Others believe that the robots caused the Collapse as retaliation for the damage the Revolution caused them. Some even believe it was an act by a foreign power that took advantage of Metropolis' instability in the Revolution's wake, or even that the Revolution itself was actually under the influence of a foreign power, especially in light of the fact that the Ziggurat turned out to contain military facilities."

"But…but that's not true!"

"Where there is fear and hatred, truth matters little…a lesson I should have taken closer to heart. Nevertheless, that is the sentiment that is dominant on the surface. But down here, it is the opposite. The people see the collapse of the Ziggurat as the fault of those on the surface. Whether by divine intervention or even as a result of corruption and kickbacks to the construction magnates; but they believe it was a just response to the spirit of greed and vanity that those on the surface indulged in while they ignored the plight of the workers down here. However, because the damage from the Ziggurat's collapse has greatly affected our way of life as well, their lust for vengeance remains unsatisfied…and so a target for that lust is needed."

"…But, doesn't that just make things worse? Isn't anger and violence how this all start-…um…"

Atlas sniffed, "It's alright. I know. Mistakes are being repeated, mistakes that should've been handled differently in the first place."

"But then why…you…I mean…"

Atlas turned his gaze back downwards.

"During the Revolution, our dispute was with the societal elite, who used their power to influence and corrupt the government and improve their own standing by expanding their interests through unethical means. We were the workers who had built their industries, and their great state, for generations. But when robot labor became cheap and effective, we were tossed aside; our loyalty and hard work was forgotten.

We…I thought that maybe by drawing enough attention to our cause, that maybe people would remember us again. Or so I told myself. But I guess, the truth is, I wanted to force them to remember us. But you can't force a memory onto someone who doesn't want to remember…not unless you're willing to deal with the consequences of that memory not being as glorious as you, or they, once thought it was."

"Then why dredge up old memories again?" Kenichi couldn't help but ask.

"Memories can also serve as distractions. And right now that's what we need; a distraction."

Kenichi's eyes narrowed.

"So, you want to enflame the anti-robot sentiments just to get the people's minds off of their troubles?"

"No. It's more than that. The hatred and anger in the people will grow and fester without a target to attach it to. Believe me, I know. And the most likely target would be those that we envied most."

"…So, even after the first Revolution failed…"

"A second one would take its place. And more innocent people, on both sides, would die as a result."

"But, then-?"

"The new provisional government of Metropolis is very fragile right now. Many different people are vying for power; people who wouldn't have stood a chance in the old order, but now with most of the big wigs and power elite de-throned (Kenichi winced at the word "throne"), they suddenly find themselves in what could be a very welcome change of order. However, as I said, things are still very unstable right now and even the smallest mis-step could mean the end of their ambitions and leave them in an even worse position than they were before. And right now, the people of Zone 1 are a very unstable element."

"Huh? We are?"

Atlas almost smiled at Kenichi's use of the word "we". The young man had become so enamored with a people that, despite their desolance and poverty, he now considered himself to be one of them. Then he almost frowned at the notion that it was he, himself, who was the one mostly responsible (or so he thought) for that current state of desolation and poverty.

"Yes. We are. A second uprising would not bode well for the future of the state, especially with the provisional government already teetering on the brink of collapse. There are some people in the new government who are very eager to…clamp down…on any signs of sedition towards the state…_violently_ clamp down."

Kenichi resisted the urge to gulp, as memories of the last uprising forced themselves upon him. Atlas was right; bad memories could be quite the distraction.

"In a way, it's almost ironic," continued Atlas, "The state has finally taken notice of our plight, but only after they realized that the bad publicity from another revolution would actually cause more damage to their goals then the revolution itself. But even then, any help that we could get is available on certain conditions pertaining to our visibility in the media. It seems…that people of your standing are even more powerful than I had first given credit for, eh Kenichi?"

"Really?"

"Yes, since you have ties to your uncle and are reporting for the foreign media, your position allows you to shape how events will unfold based on how the public interprets the perspective-_your_ perspective-of what you've seen here. Your position is even more unique because you're one of the few reporters who have reported from inside Zone 1. Still, right now I think that the new government is much more concerned with the local media rather than the views of foreign outlets. Anyway, it's because of the situation with the new government that our…_my_…shift in focus has become so adamant."

"Oh? W-Why is that? You mean why you've been speaking out against the robots?"

Atlas nodded, "Mmm-hmm. You see Kenichi, like I said; the people need a target to take their anger out on, and so long as that target is the robot work-force, then their anger won't be as focused on the people on the surface or the new government."

Kenichi spoke shocked, "B-But…then…huh? So the robots…are the distraction? You're just trying to get people to hate the robots so they won't turn against the new government instead?"

Atlas sighed, "That's the just of it. Look, I know it all seems rath-"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Kenichi shouted as he bolted from his seat.

The hired hand who was still standing across the room abruptly stiffened and moved towards Kenichi, but Atlas gave him a look that was apparently enough to persuade him to back down. Kenichi hardly noticed, or even cared.

"You…you want to blame the robots when it isn't their fault! How does that help anything? All you're doing is making people angry for no real reason! You're manipulating them!"

"The people were already angry to begin with. All I'm doing is redirecting that anger on an outlet where nobody will get hurt."

"The _robots_ will get hurt!"

"Would you rather that people get hurt?" Atlas asked, not fully realizing that to Kenichi, robots _were_ people. "If the anger against the people up on the surface and the new government were to continue, then the next revolution would be aimed at them. Innocent people on both sides would be hurt, again, and this time the government might not just stop at crushing the revolt. They might just decide that we're too much trouble to deal with altogether."

"You don't mean…that they would try to kill…? Everyone in Zone 1? They couldn't do that!"

"Why not? They have the means to, and now they have the motive. We were mostly ignored by them in the first place, and now we've become a dangerous nuisance. At the very least, they could try to forcibly remove us…place us in camps out in the country, where we'd be even worse off than we are here. Or they might even just seal us in and not allow anymore access to the surface at all."

Kenichi plopped back down on the couch, horrible images washing over his mind.

"That's just…_evil_."

"That's just politics. The new government was put in place by the people on the surface. If they want to remain in the new government then they have to promise the people on the surface security, safety, and a future; the same things I tried to promise us when I led the revolution. And like me, they'll do whatever it takes to achieve it, even if it costs lives. That's why I'm doing all this…why I'm going along with them. If the people of Zone 1 aren't an immediate threat to the state, then they won't risk the bad publicity involved with trying to get rid of us."

"…Wait a minute…you don't mean…you can't mean…you're working _with_ the new government!"

Atlas nodded sadly, "This…_all_ of this…" he gestured around the apartment, "was set up by them. There's a new arm of the Public Relations branch, unofficial of course, working in conjuncture with the Office of Intelligence. Their job is to make sure that the residents of Zone 1 don't cause any trouble during this period of transition. By working behind the scenes, they hope to avoid any all-out confrontation or any of the negative publicity that might go along with it."

"And you're just going along with this! Going along with those that you've hated so much and fought so hard against? You've become…their _**puppet**_?"

"In exchange for our…_my_ assistance, they've agreed to meet certain conditions. As long as any potential seditious sentiments or behavior in Zone 1 is kept to a minimal, then they've agreed to leave us alone for now, and to eventually re-start food rationing and certain social services once the situation of the state has become more stable and re-construction has neared completion."

"And you believed them? Did they offer you anything other than assurances? How can you just take them at their word?"

"They've offered some tokens of goodwill…your generator for one."

"But…but that was from Namid's shop? He had it already, the government didn't give it to him…did they?"

Atlas averted his gaze again, "I…I know I promised you that we would reserve a generator for you, but I never said which one…"

"You…you-!"

"We needed the generators immediately. There are too many people in need. As part of their program, the government agreed to give us the funds to purchase what generators were available. If the quality of life for some of the populace began to improve, then their rebellious sentiments wouldn't be as strong. That's how we were able to convince them to do it. But getting additional generators from outside Zone 1 was more troublesome.

"Most of the people on the surface aren't ready yet to willingly give resources, no matter how minor, to the Underground until their own quality of life has returned to normal. The generators had to be acquired and brought down quietly and without arousing suspicion or questions. There was a lot of bureaucratic tape to go through. They probably designated the generators for work on re-building the facilities in Zone 2 or 3, but in actuality they're providing power for residents here."

"But…in the lobby, on the first floor, there wasn't-"

"There are many places in need, as I'm sure you know. Some of the buildings share power when they can, and set up schedules so they know when they can best utilize what they'll have. Of course, the situation is complicated by the fact that we've got to have some generators on standby for _real_ emergencies, and that we've traded some of them for even more valuable medical supplies. And then there are the ones that we've kept in reserve as rewards for those who've done certain favors for us…and for certain _friends_, of course."

Kenichi got a sinking feeling in his already churned stomach at the word _friends_. How was it that Atlas was making _him_ out to be the bad guy? Well, generator or no generator, Kenichi wasn't going to let Atlas lecture him on morality (no matter that Kenichi was secretly worried that there may have been a grain of truth in his subtle accusations).

"So that's what this is all about? You preach what they tell you to, and in exchange they give you the supplies?"

Atlas shook his head, "It's more than that. Anti-robot sentiment has also increased on the surface, and many of the new factions vying for power are also keen on using those sentiments to help further their agendas."

"By using those sentiments to keep the population distracted?"

"That's part of it, yes, but at the same time there's also a chance for real change. It'll be long-term and much slower than it should be, but maybe in the end it will achieve at least some of the goals that I had failed to achieve. If the anti-robot factions gain power, they'll try to implement at least some of the measures that they've promised the public in exchange for their seats in the new government. That could mean that parts of the robot workforce would be eventually decommissioned."

"How is that a good thing? The robots aren't really the ones responsible for our condition! It's the government that was to blame in the first place; you said so!"

"With less of a robot workforce to rely upon, they'll be forced to use human workers. That means jobs…employment…a chance to earn a fair living. That's…that's all I wanted in the first place. I wanted them to have a chance at a good life."

Kenichi had to give Atlas credit. Unlike many would-be leaders, his desires really did lie with the welfare of the people of Zone 1, and he was free of lust for power and self-gratification. But it was now obvious to Kenichi that he was consumed by guilt for the pain he had caused the people around him…and maybe guilt related to even deeper problems; a feeling to which Kenichi could relate. But still, it was also obvious that Atlas was likely repeating those same mistakes again…trying to save the people who still looked up to him but, once again, going about it the wrong way.

"Why don't you just tell them all this? Everything that you just told me? Tell them that their anger and hatred are being used to further the goals of others! They don't have to do this! They can demand a better life without having to resort to violence!"

Atlas sighed, "Perhaps in an ideal world, that would be an ideal solution. But…humans are attached to their feelings. Once engulfed in them, they will resist the urge to simply let go of those emotions, even the negative ones. Truth has little bearing to those who are blinded by desperation and anger. People respond to those feelings, and not just the people who are the direct contributors and recipients of those emotions, but also anyone nearby who witnesses the power that those emotions have over the people. Regretfully, the most violent and destructive methods are also the most effective."

"How can anything destructive and violent be effective?" whispered Kenichi.

"…Sometimes…it isn't very effective at all, I'm afraid."

A long moment passed.

"Then…why are you telling _me_?" asked Kenichi.

"Simple. This may not be an ideal world, but _you __are_ an ideal person."

Kenichi was taken aback.

"You…you really think that?"

"Yes, I do."

"But…why?"

At this, Atlas smirked, "Why don't you ask that girl of yours? She doesn't seem to be the kind to settle for anyone less than ideal."

Kenichi blushed embarrassingly, wondering just what it was that Tima, and seemingly everyone else, both mechanical and human, saw in him. He also wondered how the conversation seemed to repeatedly turn back to Tima, no matter how hard he tried to avoid the subject. But that just made him more determined to protect her and the rest of his family from harm.

"Then…if I'm really as ideal as you think I am, may I give you some advice…please?"

The friendly smirk still on his face, Atlas nodded.

"Please think about what you're doing! Violence and hatred solve nothing! You shouldn't be trying to channel…or mis-channel…those emotions for your own, or the government's, needs. It will only cause more pain and suffering in the end. There must be another way to help! We should be working together to help change things without having to fight!"

Atlas' smirk had disappeared once more, and Kenichi could see the weight of the world return to his face.

"…I'm sorry. As I said, we don't live in an ideal world."

"But-"

"However, with anchors such as you, maybe hope can find a sanctuary against the surging tide."

"Please reconsider! Just listen to me!"

"I'm…sorry that the reality of this has upset you," Atlas said as he began to get up from his chair. "And…please believe me when I say that I wish this was a world where ideals like yours could be commonplace…but…I've learned from experience…that isn't a world for ideals."

Kenichi was now on the verge of crying as he pleaded, "Please, Atlas! Listen to me! I know that you were hurt and betrayed in the past and I know that you were only trying to do what was best for everyone and that it only made things worse, but you shouldn't blame yourself for-"

"Then just who should I blame? No, I understand that I wasn't the source of the peoples' problems, but I did promise them that I would fix their problems and ultimately it was my naivety that only exacerbated the situation. I helped to create this situation and now I must see it through to the end, for better or worse."

"But what if it _does_ get _worse_?"

"Then this time I will have no one to blame but myself," he paused, looking even more exhausted, but almost relieved at the same time, "Besides, the greater of two evils here would be inaction. Better to chance a risk than to simply stand by and do nothing…because nobody is going to help us if we don't help ourselves."

"Y-You know, you could…work _with_ the robots instead of against them. They could help you."

Atlas gave him a somewhat sarcastic look.

"It's true!" Kenichi pleaded, "They're very hard workers!"

Atlas scoffed, "Of that there is no doubt. But it would never work. Almost all the robots that weren't already in government ownership have been either seized or put under surveillance, and I doubt that the government will just hand them over to help us out…not when they're still needed to perform their other duties. It's hard enough just to barter for basic supplies; I doubt they'd even consider giving us robots under the current political climate and with the investigation into the robot malfunctions still ongoing.

"Besides, the underlying dilemmas still remain. The people are unemployed, impoverished, and still emotionally disturbed and offended, and they won't be satisfied until they are able to gratify their feelings by taking part in the conflict personally…and winning. In other words, they seek to satisfy their lust for vengeance."

"As do you!"

"…Perhaps. But regardless, there really isn't any other option. Not currently at any rate. I'm…I'm sorry that for any inconvenience that this has caused you, and also…I don't think I ever…apologized to you, or to that girl of yours, for the danger that I put you in back then. I'm glad that you've both done okay for yourselves."

"Atlas please I-"

"Uh, sir…" interrupted the hired hand, distracting both Kenichi and Atlas.

He was standing at the edge of the hallway, next to another man, this one in a formal black suit, bowler hat, tie, and white undershirt. He also had a dark blue cape and a pair of sunglasses tucked into his suit pocket. Atlas' face sobered what little friendly atmosphere there was quickly vanished.

Atlas turned back towards Kenichi, "Sorry, but I have another appointment. We'll continue this another time…soon…I mean, if you're still interested that is?"

Kenichi nodded his response. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he may have detected just a hint of loneliness in Atlas' voice. Given all the stress and loss he had faced, it would make sense; it must have been very lonely at the top…even when it was the top of the Underground. Atlas and his darkly-dressed guest began to make their way into an adjacent room.

Speaking to Kenichi over his shoulder, "I promise that the delivery will be made soon. Oh, and feel free to take whatever you want," he gestured towards the food bowl on the coffee table, and then disappeared with the others.

Kenichi sighed, and continued to sit on the couch while he tried to analyze everything that had just been said in his mind. After what may have been a long moment, but didn't really seem that long to Kenichi, the remaining hired hand cleared his throat. Kenichi looked up to see a bit of miffed look on the man's face, and realized that he must have been deliberating for longer than he thought.

"Uh, sorry."

"No problem. Would you like a bag to carry those in?" the man gestured towards the bowl of food.

"Oh, uh, yes please," Kenichi responded.

He felt kind of bad about taking the food when he knew there were so many that were in need, but he suspected that Atlas had more and was using his connections to feed as many as he could already. Plus, it wasn't like he and Tima were awash in food themselves, and money was _really_ running low. So naturally, his curiosity was peaked when he saw a pile of small boxes with picture-labels on them lying in the kitchen where the escort had gone to search out some bags.

"Uh, excuse me?" Kenichi called out.

The man looked back up from his rummaging.

"Uh, about those…" Kenichi pointed to the stack of boxes, and the man glanced from the boxes and then back towards Kenichi, with a slightly peeved look. Kenichi blushed, "W-Well, he did say that I could take whatever I wanted, and I really do need one…"

The man grumbled under his breath and added one of the boxes to the load. _Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound,_ Kenichi thought. At least, that seemed to be the story of his life ever since he came to Metropolis.

In this case, it apparently referred to a pound of apples.

* * *

Kenichi wasn't making good time on his way back home. It could have been because he stopped multiple times to subconsciously take in the plight of the impoverished masses that he passed along the way, his mind now even more open even than before to their troubles. It also could have been that he was having a hard time juggling the small cardboard box in his hands and the food-laden backpack on his back. It also could have been the ongoing construction that had him taking multiple detours or his avoidance of the "shadier" parts of Zone 1, since he now had something of good value on him and might become a target for muggers.

Or it might be the fact that there was a very upset young woman at home.

…Better maker make that a very ENRAGED young woman.

…A very enraged young woman who was, technically, much stronger than he was.

Yeah, that would do it.

Kenichi had heard the old saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." He had heard his uncle say it more than a few times when they were working on cases together. And he had seen more than a few "scorned" women try to make his uncle's life a living hell. But he had also secretly always found the situations amusing. His uncle never seemed to learn; no matter how many times his antics seemed to get him in trouble with the ladies, especially ladies involved in the cases they were investigating.

Now though, he was beginning to see just how "amusing" such a situation really was. And it wasn't very funny at all. What was worse, whereas his uncle's problems usually resulted from "harmless" flirting, this situation involved someone that Kenichi actually LOVED, and very deeply so. Not to mention the fact that she actually loved him as well. Kenichi was fairly new to love of the romantic scene, but he was fairly certain that it made any transgressions seem even more hurtful to the partner.

And thus, said partner was likely to be even _more _pissed-off.

Not that he would blame her at all. He knew what he was getting into when he ran off to meet Atlas without her. He was actually kind of surprised that she didn't come storming after him, or at least send out a general alert to every robot remaining in Zone 1 to hunt his hide down and drag him back home. They would have done it too, he knew, if she had asked them. The fact that they didn't made him even more nervous. What if, instead of stomping around angrily and fuming, she was crying her eyes out and sobbing in a corner?

That actually sounded worse…_much_ worse. But he still would do it again (though he was starting to wonder if he might think differently once he finally did get home). However, he simply couldn't just lead her into danger like that. It wasn't like he had a large ego (or any ego at all for that matter), but he did have to protect her as best he could. Fortunately, everything with Atlas had gone relatively smoothly…much more smoothly than he anticipated, actually. He had even gotten a little something for their troubles, he realized as he tried to adjust the box and backpack he was carrying. Hopefully that would help make up for his transgressions towards Tima.

…Probably not, since Tima wasn't the type to be bought off, especially when their safety was involved, but maybe it would help a little. But how would they handle such situations in the future? If his conversation with Atlas was any indicator, there would be a lot more opportunity for potential trouble to arise soon. A shadow campaign was underway to target, and possibly even eventually remove, the mechanical inhabitants of Metropolis. That included his family, as well as his partner.

The sad, and almost weird, part about all this was that Kenichi could actually understand Atlas' position. But that didn't mean that he condoned it at all. He knew Atlas was blaming himself for the failure of the revolt and all the damage afterwards. But it wasn't right to try and make amends by trying to place the entire burden upon himself and make the same mistakes _again_.

Just because people were looking for someone to blame, that didn't mean Atlas had any right to provide a target, much less _his family_. And just because people were angry, that didn't give him the right to stoke that anger…even if it might eventually lead to a better life for them. No, the ends didn't justify the means.

But then…if the ends didn't justify the means, how could he justify running out on Tima like he did? Simple. Because she would was safer at home. Of course, that didn't mean she would have to stay at home all the time…he couldn't force her to (even if he tried). But now that he had a better understanding of what Atlas and the new government were up to, they had to be even more on guard than they were before.

Maybe the next time he talked to Atlas he could glean more details from him. If he knew a timetable of the events that were supposed to happen, then maybe they could get the robots out of the way and keep them safe. Or better yet, maybe he could still talk Atlas out of it altogether. Kenichi didn't usually think of himself as the persuasive type, and he didn't like to argue…but to help save Tima and his family, he would certainly try. Besides, they had to meet again anyway, since they hadn't set up a time or place to exchange the generator they had asked for.

Of course, Kenichi would have to try to convince Tima to avoid that meeting as well…and the longer they went without a generator, the more at risk they were…and if people really were becoming angrier with the robots…no…wait…just calm down. _One step at a time_, Kenichi thought. _Don't get over-stressed or you won't be any good to anyone._

The first step was to go home (he had finally made his way into the tunnels), and apologize to Tima, beg for forgiveness and then explain to her that she was safer staying at home for the time being. She had protection there, with the other robots on guard in case she needed an-…_Hey! That's odd._

Kenichi looked around. There should've been a lookout at the tunnel intersection he was at. A robot, whose cover-story was that it was a maintenance bot, that would alert the others if any human other than himself tried to go any further, and stall or detour them if need be. But there wasn't anyone here. The robots were always very punctual, and took their duties seriously, what could hav-

"Ahh! Let go! Help!"

Kenichi's stomach plummeted as he heard a very familiar and high-pitched tone for help. Without even thinking, he shucked the box and his backpack, and ran down the tunnel , where the voice grew louder and was now accompanied by a chorus of beeps, boops, grinds, and finally several sirens starting to sound. He tripped, fell, slid for several feet, got up, and kept running, ignoring the stinging pain of his now-skinned hands and legs.

As he approached the entrance, out of breath and pain erupting from his side, he could hear several more voices now, angry ones…human ones!

"Hey let go me ya-ack!"

"Ow, that hurts! Stop! I said stop!"

"Get-upmph!"

"That's an order! Stop! Halt! I _order_ you to stop!"

Kenichi finally burst forward, nearly tripping yet again as he hit the flat incline of the artificial overhang, but quickly rising to see a group of four humans engaged in a scuffle with more than a dozen robots of various shapes and sizes, including Fifi!

Two of the men were pinned to the ground by much larger robots, with smaller and medium ones piling on as well. But the other two men had grabbed a hostage…Tima! They were holding her, standing up, by the arms, one on each side. One robot with pinchers was trying to yank the pants off one of the hostage-takers, while several of the outdated mouse-shaped fire robots had squirmed up the other one, who was trying vigorously to shake them off. But they still had a hold of Tima!

That was, until Kenichi ran forward and slammed hard into the man holding her right arm.

"Ooofff! Aaah! Hey kid what the-AAAckkk!"

_Crunch! _Kenichi bit into the man's arm as hard as he could, drawing blood in a tooth-marked pattern. This allowed Tima to turn around and break free of the other man, who quickly tried to aid his companion and grabbed the back of Kenichi's coat. The fire-bots jumped into action, quite literally, and flew from the downed man onto his companion, who released Kenichi's coat as he tried to pry them off. Tima then tried to rescue her partner from the other man, who was furiously beating his back with one arm in an attempt to get the rabid-like kid off him.

"No! Stop! _Kenichi_!"

The man decided to switch tactics and hit Kenichi's right ear instead. The sudden change in pressure caused Kenichi to let go as he howled in pain! The man kicked him off, and Kenichi fell back, luckily to be caught by the waiting arms of his girlfriend as the man then tried to scramble away. By now, several dozen other robots had emerged from the complex, some with rods and heavy tools in their hands. A BURN-E welder bot approached with its torch lit. Another humanoid-shaped bot began to swing a heavy chain.

The two humans were quickly surrounded, while the other two remained pinned to the floor. A terrified look in his eyes as the mechanical mob approached, one man reached into his torn coat…

_Kap-POWWW!_

A shot was fired from his small pistol! Luckily it hit an Albert-II model (not Fifi), and ricocheted off. The robots paused for a moment, the more vulnerable and less-bullet-proof ones taking shelter behind the more durable ones as Fifi moved to shelter Kenichi and Tima, before they started to advance again.

"Wait! _**STOP!**_"

With a scream from Tima, everyone, human and robot alike, halted in their tracks.

"Let them go!" she ordered.

The robots looked at one another for a moment, then began to slowly back off.

Tima turned towards the men being pinned down, "Them as well!"

The robots released the fallen men, who slowly stood up and, once clear of the menagerie, scuffled quickly (one with a noticeable limp) towards the other two men, who were inching their way slowly towards the entrance of the compound, one with his hands raised in the air in a gesture of surrender, while the other still held the small pistol.

"Tima!" whispered Kenichi "Are you okay? What are you doin-"

"Shhh!" she whispered back as she used her sleeve to try and soak up the blood from his damaged ear, "There's no need for anyone else to get hurt. Just let them leave."

"But they-!"

"The fault was mine."

"Huh, what do yo-?"

"_What's going on here?_" came a loud shout.

Both Kenichi and Tima, still crouched on the ground, turned to see a figure emerge from the darkened entrance, accompanied by two goons with rifles aimed at the robotic crowd.

"Atlas!" Kenichi hissed.

Atlas stepped out into the light of the compound; Kenichi and Tima's home. He was dressed much the same as he was from the meeting, except now he had a long overcoat on. One of the men with the rifles was the one who had escorted Kenichi earlier at the meeting. Atlas took a long pause and looked around, taking note of the various robots scattered around the plaza. He stopped when his view fell upon Kenichi and Tima, and took particular notice of how protective the robots seemed to be of the two, surrounding them as if to defend them from harm.

Atlas seemed to take the entire scene in stride, a mix of curiosity and mild bewilderment on his face.

"Well, seems like I'm not the only one keeping secrets, eh Kenichi?"

* * *

AN: Ooohhh…I ended on a cliffhanger, I'm sooo bad. So please tell me what ya'll thought. Originally, this chapter could've gone one of two ways: Tima goes with Kenichi, or she doesn't. I had plot twists for both, but decided to go for this one where Tima doesn't accompany Kenichi. Tell me what ya'll think of how it turned out, 'cause I'm interested in your opinion on that one. Also, I tried to get the pace and action-to-dialogue ratio right, as well as the humor-to-seriousness ration, but I need ya guys (and gals, and other assorted descriptive anatomical labels) to let me know how it turned out.

Thanks, I hope to have another chapter out soon…and order your badges already!


	9. Good Will Hunting

AN: Hey, long time no typie (blushes sheepishly)! I hope that everyone is doin' well, and I once again apologize for the long delay between updates. This story just isn't coming along as quickly as I had hoped, even though I have a fairly good idea of where it's heading and have an outline of most of the major events leading up to the end.

Anyway, after several job changes, along with bouts of unemployment, not to mention changes in my personal life, I've finally found the time and motivation to continue with this story! Right now, I'm aiming for a new chapter every 1 to 2 months.

Here's the latest, Chapter 9, titled "Good Will Hunting", for the characters as they seek out good will in each other. That's also a critically-acclaimed movie from 1997 (geez, I feel old!), and one of actor Robin Willams best works. Unfortunately, despite the great actin', it was pretty bad movie from my personal viewpoint in terms of plot and character interaction. I hope this chapter isn't the same (though I wouldn't mind it being critically acclaimed, that's for sure *winks*).

This chapter is shorter than some of the others, and is heavier on dialogue than on action (please tell me what ya think of that). Hopefully, this chapter acts to further establish the characters' motivations (Atlas in particular), and acts as a small springboard to several other original characters that I'll introduce in coming chapters. I'm also workin' on incorporating a bit more humor into some of the situations; tell me if it shows.

In particular, I'm interested in your opinions on the harmony of the chapter, the length, the content, and most especially the grammar since I think I've made quite a few mistakes there.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 8: Good Will Hunting

"Ouch! That stings!"

Kenichi hissed in pain as Tima placed another alcohol-soaked rag onto his skinned knee, securing it with a bandage.

She just looked down at him indigently and gave a small "Hmmph" of disapproval over his attitude. The other onlookers, a mix of mechanical and human, watched in amusement as the young man was slowly bandaged and made to resemble a patched-up doll. He was well past the point of feeling only slightly embarrassed.

"L-look, Tima…I-I-"

"I said that I was not going to talk to you for the time being. Now hold still!" she demanded, while not-to-gently placing another bandage near his cheek.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, he could've sworn he heard a chuckle from the group standing next to him. Was that a twitch in the corner of Atlas' mouth? Kenichi was sure that he could see a hint of amusement in his eyes as well.

The look was far more pronounced (and less innocent) in the other humans.

Kenichi was almost mortified.

How had things come to this?

As he tried to stand up, Tima laid a (very) firm hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down onto the upturned crate/impromptu-medical table and gave him a very stiff look that cut off any resistance.

"Kenichi, you are still injured. You will sit down and remain still until I am done."

This time, Kenichi _knew_ he heard chuckles. Atlas had murmured something that contained the words "naughty nurse" and someone else muttered "whipped". Kenichi didn't find it very funny though…especially since most of them were even _more_ bandaged up than he was (inside, he smiled just a bit smugly at that last thought, as he looked at one of the men's bandaged arm; one which he had nearly took a clean bite out of). He wondered for a moment whether Tima had saw to their injuries first because they were more severe and because she somehow believed it was her role to do so as a good "host" to their "guests", or because she was still so very angry at his actions and this was her way of getting back at him.

Probably both.

He hissed as his thoughts were interrupted by another bout of stinging, anti-septic-induced pain.

"I'm sorry that this has to hurt," Tima said, her face softening slightly in apology, "but it is necessary to minimize the risk of infection."

She continued to dab another rag into the small dish of medical alcohol (the last of their supply, Kenichi noted).

"Besides, your injuries are the result of your own rash actions."

Kenichi didn't think that was a very fair assessment. He had just saved her from those goons after all. Though…if he hadn't had left her in the first place…which _was_ in fact a rash decision…he shook his head. Now was not the time for this. He could second-guess himself later, when he didn't have an uninvited audience snickering at him (…them…together…) in the background.

Tima apparently read his expression and agreed, "We will discuss your…transgressions...later," she promised.

She finished the last touches to his bandages, and then went to put away the medical supplies with the help of Fifi, though not without giving him a firm warning not to move around much until she had returned. Despite his earlier attempts, Kenichi wasn't even sure he _could_ stand up for long on his own, even if he wanted to. He stared down at his scuffed-up shoes, hoping that he would somehow survive this bizarre experience without any further humiliation.

No such luck, as a shadow passed over him and he almost felt, rather than saw, Atlas sit down on the now vacated crate across from him.

"…So…in a bit of trouble with the missus, I see."

Kenichi didn't move to face him. If not for the difference in their voices, Kenichi could've sworn that it was Namid or even his uncle Shunsaku speaking, and not Atlas.

Atlas sighed, "I've got to hand it to you though, she makes a very good nurse."

He gestured over the other six men that were standing a close distance away, four of which were heavily bandaged.

"Although…" he paused to look around at the loose semi-circle of several dozen robots that surrounded them, "it would seem that you'd be more in need of a mechanic than a nurse."

"Kenichi is the mechanic." Tima responded for him, walking back towards the two with Fifi in tow.

"What, really?" Atlas almost chuckled.

"Yes," she replied.

As Tima approached, Atlas made to get up and offer the crate/seat back to her, but she sat next to Kenichi instead, the latter moving slightly aside as best he could to make room for her. When he still didn't look up from the floor, Tima subtly slid her hand over his until he looked up at her and was reassured to find the confidence he was desperately seeking within himself etched across her small smile.

"Kenichi is responsible for the majority of repairs. He is very adept in the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as computer programming."

Atlas looked questioningly around at the menagerie of robots.

"The _paper boy_ does most of the repair work?" Atlas jibbed.

"Yes," Tima replied curtly as Kenichi blushed.

"…Not by himself though, right?"

"The robots who are capable try their best to perform what repairs they can and I also try to help out whenever possible. However, Kenichi is the most skilled and because of his creativity, he is capable of bypassing and solving problems using unique solutions that only he can think of."

Kenichi didn't know whether to blush or to beg her to please stop talking. But in an odd twist, Kenichi, who had always considered it his duty to protect everyone, found himself finally (and almost subconsciously) obeying Tima's wishes that he share the burden with her as well. But, as he continued to gaze at her as she responded to Atlas' questions (his interrogation?), he came to realize that he was also very proud of her…and perhaps even slightly disgusted with himself, given his previous actions. She just wanted the chance to protect him as much as he had protected her.

Plus, there was the fact that he was so nervous that he was afraid that if he did try to speak, he'd just end up vomiting all over the floor. _What is wrong with me? I wasn't too scared to act when those men threatened Tima, why am I too scared to act now?_

"So then, how does old-man-Namid fit into all of this?"

For the first time, Tima looked slightly taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"Now, now, don't play coy. You were in his shop looking for the power generator. I happen to know that he runs various side-ventures involving unauthorized repairs on robots. You said Kenichi was a very skilled mechanic, but he came to this country as a media reporter. That's quite a career change for such a short amount of time. Word also has it that Mr. Namid moved a rather large amount of inventory, an entire train-full, not too long ago."

Atlas made a gesture that encircled the plaza, "I think it's pretty safe to say that this is where the "inventory" ended up. So what I would like to know is how he fits in to all of this. He trained your boyfriend here, that much is obvious, but what-"

"NO!" Kenichi shouted, raising his voice for the first time. "Namid has nothing to do with any of this! He was just doing us a favor! Leave him out of this!"

If the situation was less serious, Kenichi might have taken the time to notice just how quickly his feelings of fear and humiliation seemed to abandon him when there was a possibility that his friend might be in immediate danger.

The group of men nearby began to murmur and stir a bit, but Atlas shot them a look that reminded them of their surroundings…and their current company (which far outnumbered and outmatched them), and they calmed down…somewhat.

"Okay, okay, sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything," Atlas shrugged up his hands in an act of apology. "I understand that you want to protect those close to you."

Kenichi began to glare at the group of hired hands, refusing to say more.

Atlas sighed, "Hey Mickey, why don't you and the guys wait for me outside, okay? I think we want to have a little privacy."

The man named Mickey and his associates looked shocked.

"Uh sir, that might not be the best-"

"It's okay Mick, I trust them."

All six men raised their eyebrows simultaneously.

"Uh, sir, with all due respect…I mean, the robots-"

"_Now_ please, Mick."

The men looked at each other wearily once again, then began to slowly back away towards the tunnel entrance. The loose semi-circle of robots, after an almost unnoticeable nod from both Tima and Kenichi, parted and made way for them.

"Hey Mickey!" Atlas called as the men neared the entrance, "Make sure that we're not disturbed by _anyone_, got it?"

Mickey nodded, albeit reluctantly, and walked back up the passage, his head turned back the entire time and not taking his eyes off the robots until he was forced out of view. Atlas turned back to the young couple.

"Don't worry. Mickey is very loyal, and he's been with me from the start. He'll make sure the others don't talk and that this conversation is kept private."

"Thank you, we appreciate your discretion," Tima replied.

"Don't thank me yet. I said that _he_ would keep quiet, but I didn't agree that I would…yet. I need to know what is going on. This is very dangerous you know, playing around with robots. I would have thought that our previous conservation would have made that clear, Kenichi?"

Tima turned towards her partner.

"Kenichi, what does he mean?"

"I-I'll explain later, Tima, I promise. But right now just isn't a good time."

"Well, at least you're both on speaking terms with each other again," interrupted Atlas, as the two turned back to him with blushes on their faces.

Kenichi forced himself to concentrate. Now was not the time to get overwhelmed, he would have to protect them all as best he could, one step at a time. Starting with Namid.

"Namid is just a close friend of ours, that's all. He has nothing to do with any of this."

"Then you're not his apprentice? He isn't teaching you?"

"No! I-I learned all of this myself…from books I found, and from watching some of them repair each other. To be honest, most of it was guesswork. I was making a lot of it up as I went along. I…almost wish that I _had_ had someone like Namid to teach me. I made a lot of mistakes, and when he finally did come by-"

"So he did come down here then?"

Kenichi sighed, "Yes, but just to visit, honest! He just wanted to…check things out."

"So then, none of these robots," Atlas looked around , "came from him? They weren't delivered on the train?"

Kenichi hesitated, "…None of _these_ robots were, no."

Atlas narrowed his eyes slightly, the emphasis on the word "_these_" had not slipped past him.

"Buuttt…" Atlas prodded.

"Namid did have an abundance of off-line robots in need of repairs," replied Tima, speaking again on Kenichi's behalf. "He gave them to us in hopes that we could repair them as we have with these."

"So…there are more robots here?"

The couple nodded.

"And they came from Namid's shop?"

Reluctantly, they nodded again.

"But these…" Atlas jerked his thumb at the robots behind him, "…didn't?"

"Correct," said Tima.

"Then where did these come from?"

"I found them," sighed Kenichi, "or rather, they found me…after the Ziggurat fell. There were a lot of them wandering around, and they knew I was friends with Ti…er…with Pero, and-"

"Pero? Who's Pero?"

Kenichi's face darkened somewhat.

"The robot that was with my uncle and I when you first met us; the investigator for the police force. You shot him at the entrance to Zone 1…at the start of the Revolt."

Atlas looked even more taken aback (if that was possible).

"That robot was with the police force? Wait…Pero? That was his _name_? The robot had a name? You know that's illegal?"

An incredulous silence followed as Atlas belatedly took in his surroundings and realized the absurdity of his last question.

"Ah…right…carry on."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Atlas still sat opposite them, almost stiff as a board and his eyes bulging out slightly, with his left eyebrow occasionally twitching. He didn't say anything, even though Kenichi had stopped talking some time ago.

Tima and Kenichi looked worriedly at each other, and then back at Atlas.

"Uh, Mr. Atlas, sir?" piqued Tima.

"…"

She slowly approached him and waved her hand in front of his face. He didn't move.

"Uhhh, Tima?" questioned Kenichi.

"I…think we…broke him?" she asked unsurely.

An instant later, Fifi was at her side…and smacked Atlas upside the head with a resounding crack!

"GAAACCHHHKK!" Atlas held his head in his hands.

Kenichi and Tima both sweat-dropped.

"Sheesh! Okay, okay! I get it! No need for that!" Atlas grumbled and rubbed the back of his head. "There's only one thing I don't understand," he faced the two once more. "What's in it for you?"

"Huh?" both were confused.

"You heard me! If you're not making any money off this then why invest all your time and resources? Something like this goes way beyond a hobby; you're putting your lives at risk! What's the angle?"

"Well, you see, the truth is…" Kenichi looked directly at Tima, "we owe them."

"Huh?" now Atlas was the one who was confused.

"They were the ones who found Tima after the Ziggurat fell," Kenichi answered, still staring directly at Tima. "I…I lost her, but they found her and brought her back to me."

His voice was suddenly near quivering, even though he left out the fact that they had brought her back in pieces, scouring the debris endlessly for months just for the tremendously long-shot chance that the two of them could be together again. As far as Atlas knew, she was just another human that had been caught in the debris of the collapse.

"I understand that, but it's not like you really owe them any sort of debt. The robots helped saved a lot of people after the Ziggurat fell, but that's what they were programmed to do. It wasn't of like it was of their own free will."

Kenichi snapped around to face Atlas so fast it hurt. He almost seethed when he had said that he understood. He did _not_ understand. He didn't understand _at all_! If he understood anything about what they had done for him…for _both_ of them…just thinking about it made Kenichi's heart ache.

"You _don't_ understand anything! They didn't just help because they were programmed to! They helped because they _wanted_ to! Even after the rotten way they'd been treated, they still didn't hesitate to help!"

Atlas was shocked by Kenichi's change in demeanor, but any response he could conjure up died instantly when he saw Kenichi slump over and almost openly sob.

"Even though…even though Tima wasn't there and even though there had been so much destruction and so much death…it all seemed to finally be going so well," he sniffed, and wiped his nose on his sleeve as Tima placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I know that sounds weird, but it was true. The barriers with the surface were down, and there was light and there was hope, and the robots and the humans were working together side-by-side to help with the rescue operations and the recovery. There was so much that we could have done together, but they just squandered it!"

Tima tried to soothe Kenichi down by rubbing his back, and placed her head on his shoulder. Despite the turmoil of the situation, Atlas was touched both by Kenichi's words and how Tima comforted and supported him.

After a moment, the couple looked up, in near disbelief, as Atlas began to chuckle.

"Sorry, really-hehe-but, I knew I was right about you Kenichi, you really are the eternal optimist."

"I don't see what's so funny," Tima whispered seriously.

"Once again, I apologize…but sometimes, you see, you just have to give in to the absurdity of the situation. You guys are really serious about this, aren't you? You really want to start a new movement for robot-human relations!"

"…Yes," admitted Kenichi, "well, I wouldn't call it a "movement", we just want to help them."

"Our approach is better than your vision for a revolution was," Tima stated, showing clear agitation towards Atlas for the first time in the conversation. "Kenichi's vision is better. He wishes to help people."

"That was exactly what the revolution was about! We…I…was only trying to help the people out!"

"It didn't work very well," sniffed Tima.

"…No…I suppose it didn't."

The mood turned somber once again, but Atlas, it seemed, was one for pulling surprises today.

"So, why don't you show me where this Pero is?"

The young pair both went wide-eyed.

* * *

"This is it?"

"_Him_," whispered Tima harshly.

"Uh…?"

"_Him_, not _it_."

"Oh…sorry?"

"You don't even remember him, do you?" said Kenichi sadly.

Atlas was looking down at the remains of Pero, laid out alongside several dozen other scrapped-up robots lying against the wall. Many were similar models, and some were so badly hurt that they were barely identifiable, but Pero was the only one of his type.

"I may not remember his face," he admitted with a hint of regret, "but I do remember the words he spoke to me just before…well…"

Tima and Kenichi turned to face him, slightly surprised.

"He said, 'Why must humanity always resort to violence as the only means of settling their differences?'"

There was a brief silence before he continued, "You know Kenichi, in many ways, it-err-_he_, was a lot like you."

"R-Really? How?"

"I think…that he really did want peace. The way he said it, it really did sound like he believed we really should resolve our differences without violence. Heh, I guess you could say that even robots can be optimists."

"Then, you'll stop your campaign against the robots?" Kenichi asked hopefully.

"…I'm sorry."

"What! But why? You know they aren't a threat! They just want to live peacefully as much as you do!"

"I've told you before, my hands are tied. The people need an outlet for their frustrations, and we need help from the government. It's that simple."

"But we could help each other!" added Tima. "Robots and humans should work together to help create a better Metropolis."

"The robots here would be more than happy to help, even without being told to do so by the government! Some of them aren't registered, and even the ones that are would be happy to help during their down-time. Please just give them a chance!"

Atlas sighed, "It's not as simple as you think."

"You haven't even tried! Can't you just give us a chance? You were willing to fight and destroy them to give the people here a better life; won't you at least try working alongside them towards that same goal?"

Atlas flinched at that, but shook his head.

"Then, you're going to tell them about us?" whispered Kenichi, as Tima suddenly straightened up and Fifi began to move about agitatedly.

"No! I can't say that I really understand what you're doing here, concerning these robots, but I honestly don't think that you mean any harm. We both want to change things for the better, but I'm afraid that we'll have to go about it differently. Perhaps our ways will eventually cross paths-"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kenichi whispered under his breath.

Atlas continued undeterred, "-and maybe then we'll be of some use to each other. But for now, I think it best if we try and stay out of each other's way."

"Will you at least stop trying to stir up sentiment against the robots?" asked Tima.

"I don't hold anything against your efforts or really even the robots in general, but if the people don't have a cause to rally around now, then soon all hope will disappear and we'll just be shoved aside again."

"W-What?" Tima gasped.

Kenichi gently tugged her shoulder and whispered, "I'll explain later, I promise."

"Then you won't help us at all?" she asked dejectedly.

Atlas smirked, "Now, I didn't exactly say that, did I?"

* * *

The trio watched as, a few minutes later, the still bandaged men re-emerged from the tunnel entrance carrying a portable power generator. With the help of Fifi, a BURN-E welder bot, and a small four-legged robot carrying various wires and a hose, they began to set it up against the side of the main workshop (which held Tima's resurrection chamber, amongst other necessary machines). The human complement was somewhat weary of the mechanical help, and they grumbled as such, but Atlas kept them in check.

In some ways, it was almost comical to see such a young, relatively lanky man order around a bunch of large, macho hired hands. Then again, the same could be said of the even younger boy and girl, who seemed to have an entire menagerie of robots at their sole beck and call.

"This was why I originally came here; to give you the new power generator. We just got it in."

"Oh…then you didn't have me followed?" Kenichi asked sheepishly.

"Well, sorta. We knew that you lived in this general area. Of course, the guys saw a large number of robots entering and leaving the tunnels too, but we honestly thought they were part of the repair crews, or they were just wandering outside their zones with all the lax security.

"You see, the guy I met with just after you left was one the suppliers from our sympathizers in the transitional government. He'd pulled some strings and was able to get your little "gift", amongst other things, a bit sooner than we had expected. I already had these guys…" he pointed to four of the men, "come by to scout out the place and see if they could be of any help. After all, you _did_ say that many of the residents were in need of "_medical"_ assistance."

Kenichi blushed, having been caught in a half-lie.

"I suppose what you really meant to say was _mechanical_ assistance, huh?"

"They really do need the generator. Our old one is unreliable, and some of their fuel cells are near their expiration dates," Kenichi whispered.

Atlas hmph-ed, "Well anyway, after you left and I found out we had gotten our supplies early for once, I gave them the go-ahead to set the place up."

"I think they were surprised," stated Tima. "Fifi and I were on our way out through the tunnel, when we heard C-MOR (she pointed to a small robot sitting nearby that had treads and three eye-stalk like appendages) sound the alarm. We ran to assist him, but I think our appearance startled them further. We retreated back here, and others came out to help."

"And that's where I came in, huh?" blushed Kenichi.

"They were simply being protective of me…as were you; if perhaps a bit _too_ protective."

"Sorry, maybe I was a bit impulsive. But those two guys did have you hostage!"

"Must've panicked when they saw a small army of bots coming at them," replied Atlas. "Which reminds me…they said that they repeatedly ordered the robots to stop, but none of them obeyed?"

He eyed Tima and Kenichi critically.

"They'll ignore orders if they perceive Tima to be in danger."

"Wh-What? Really? You programmed them to do that?"

"Uh, well…Tima sorta programmed them for that, kind of," he whispered the last part.

Atlas turned towards her.

"Really?"

"They would also act similarly if they perceived Kenichi to be in any danger," she replied.

"But, it's illegal for robots to act as bodyguards or even as full-fledged members of the police force. They aren't allowed to physically harm humans, even in self-defense."

"All living beings have the right to defend themselves, and those they care about, from harm," replied Tima.

"L-Living? You're saying they're alive? Wow, you guys have it all wrong! Look, just 'cause they move around and talk and sometimes act like humans, that doesn't mean that they're alive."

"Correct," Tima answered, "However, the fact that they go beyond their own programming to adopt their own individual personalities and gain emotional awareness, as well as the fact that they will overcome their own programming in order to achieve self-preservation and the preservation of those they've grown an attachment to, means that have achieved sentience…and thus, life."

Atlas' brow furrowed, "I know that you're both very young, but you really don't understand what it is you're saying. It's all a big mimicking act, like monkey see-monkey do. It's all just programming!"

"We understand your words, but it is you that cannot understand the concept behind them." She paused for a moment, "And humans are the ones classified as primates, not robots."

"That's exactly what I'm sayin-wait…what?...No, it's not. What I meant to say was, err…stop trying to confuse me!"

Kenichi smirked.

"Look guys this is serious! I may not approve of robots, but that doesn't mean I'm cruel towards them-"

"You shot Pero," interrupted Tima.

"You've been advocating for the removal of all robots through violent means," said Kenichi, matter-of-factly.

Atlas waved them off, "I'm helping you out now, aren't I? But if you've reprogrammed these robots to start actually hurting people, then I'm going to have to take action against it."

"They won't hurt anyone unless it's to protect themselves or Tima!" Kenichi shouted, but then winced as he had the urge to wave his arms, which were still bandaged.

"Or you apparently," retortded Atlas. "Look, I said I'm not cruel, and I meant it. You know that I really don't hold anything against robots personally; they've just gotten caught up in everything that's going on right now. That's why I'm willing to help you out on your little side-project, as a show of good faith. But I can't help if you don't keep them under control!"

"We had everything under control until your guys came down here!" Kenichi said, knowing that it was only half-true, but not willing to admit to Atlas otherwise lest he put those important to him in danger.

"Yes, well, I don't think you'll need to worry to about that anymore," he gestured towards the motley lot, which were moving slower than they should, thanks to their bandages. "I think they've had about all the action they can take for now."

Kenichi nodded, also still bruised and bandaged.

"Although," Atlas said contemplatively, "that's quite a skilled nurse you've got there, and we can always do with more skilled nurses. We have plenty of sick people, and not near enough medical supplies or doctors to help out."

"I am not actually a nurse. My only experience has been with Kenichi."

He shrugged, "Close enough. If it's good enough for my guys, then it's good enough that you can help out with others."

"I thought you said we should try and stay out of each other's way?" smirked Kenichi, but was cut off by the glaring look that Tima gave him.

"I have been outside the confines of our home before, Kenichi," she said in a low and most serious tone.

Kenichi suddenly remembered he was in very hot water for the stunt that he had pulled just a few hours previous. Nevertheless, he tried his best to protest…

"But Tima, you-"

"-Would be very happy to help as many of those in need that I possibly can." She turned towards Atlas, "In exchange for the assistance that you have given us, and for a vow that you will not try to assail our domain unannounced or provoke any robots with physical attacks."

He considered it, and nodded, "For now."

Kenichi was trying to work up the courage to object once more when one of the men walked up.

"Okay boss, that should do it."

Atlas nodded and turned back towards the couple.

"Can you take it from here?"

"Yes," replied Tima. "Thank you for your assistance. I apologize for the earlier misunderstanding."

The hired guns gave her smirks, but Atlas just nodded. The two agreed to meet later so that she could begin to help out in her new capacity as a nurse. Atlas waved the men off, and with a last glance around and a friendly good-bye to the young couple, he and the others departed.

Kenichi was still frozen on the spot, trying to decipher what had just happened and how it seemed that the men had left just as quickly as they had first come. His spell was interrupted by a particularly mischevious look from his girlfriend…

"Now, Kenichi, about the _consequences_ concerning your earlier actions…"

Kenichi gulped nervously (never turning his eyes away from her) and reached into his nearby discarded sack-

"Umm…apple, hehe?"

* * *

AN: Well, let me know what ya'll thought! And remember may the Force be with you! Oh, wait, sorry, wrong fictional universe, my bad! At least…I think it's different…no, no, must resist urge to do fantastically unlikely crossover…resist the Force, must resist! AGGHHHHH!


	10. Great Minds Think Alike

AN: We're sorry, your fanfiction author…_Tasermon's Partner_…has not been available and the story you have been waiting for…_Metropolis Heroes Rising_…has not been regularly updated. However, the author…_Tasermon's Par_-**click!**-_ah crap, I think it cut me off; do I press down on the record button again or-_**click!** If you wish to make a comment, please press one for review. If you would like to leave non-constructive criticism, please press the end or off button.

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* * *

Metropolis Heroes Rising

Chapter 10: Great Minds Think Alike

"Are you sure that you will be okay?"

Kenichi glanced at his partner patiently…for the third time in as many minutes.

"Yes, Kenichi, I will be fine. I promise not to leave the hospital without informing you first, and that I will meet you here when you are done with your duties." She leaned in closer and whispered to him, "And one of our family retrieve you if I am put in any danger."

Tima opened her worn backpack just enough so that Kenichi could see a small, mouse-shaped fire-alarm robot neatly situated in a mesh pocket next to her lunch. It wriggled and silently blinked the bright-red alarm-light on the tip of its nose to reassure the overprotective human that he'd be on watch and would sound the alarm if anything happened to its adoptive mother.

"There is one in your pack as well, should you require assistance. Now you should hurry up before the repair crew becomes impatient."

She kissed him softly on the cheek in parting.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," he mumbled.

"It will be fine, I assure you. We did promise to do this, after all."

Kenichi just shrugged.

"You know…" said Tima mischievously, "I believe you were much more adventurous when we first met."

Kenichi reddened embarrassingly and then pouted, "Yeah, well, I didn't have a family to look after back then, you know."

She kissed him again, "Yes, but please remember that your family will watch after you as well. You need not fear my supervised absence for only a few hours."

"Besides you're not the only one looking out for her," interrupted Atlas as he walked up to the young couple, "I told you that she'd be fine. I know most of the doctors here personally, and they need the help desperately, so they won't do anything to endanger her, you have my word."

Kenichi still wasn't sure just what Atlas' word was worth, but he knew he had little choice but to trust in him and in Tima on this matter. With the other workers beginning to board the cart-train for the work zone, Kenichi had no choice but to relent and give Tima one last kiss, on the lips this time, before hurriedly boarding.

"I'll see you when I get back!" he waved goodbye as some of the other workers gave out good-natured catcalls and whistles at the young lovers.

Tima waved back before Atlas put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sometimes I think he worries _too_ much. Come on, I'll show you to your station."

Today was the first day of their new jobs. In exchange for the generator and supplies that Atlas had provided (and as part of the bargain to keep their underground pro-robot movement a secret), Tima and Kenichi had agreed to help Atlas and his allies' endeavors to improve the quality of life for Metropolis' subterranean residents. Kenichi, who had proven that he had an aptitude in mechanics and electronics, was sent out with the repair crews to fix the infrastructure, while Tima, who was used to patching Kenichi up after whatever hare-brained adventure he found himself in, was conscripted to assist at the local hospital.

"Perhaps it is a trait that the two of you have in common," Tima commented as they walked.

"What?"

"Being overcome by your concern for others. While empathy and kindness are admirable traits, I have noticed that obsession over the welfare of others can sometimes lead to self-destructive tendencies if not handled properly." She gave him a knowing look.

"Hmph, maybe you should take your own advice. Your obsession with that little "side hobby" of yours is likely to lead to destruction if you're not careful."

"I know. It has already resulted in negative physical and psychological effects on Kenichi. That is part of the reason I wanted us to participate in this exchange. My hope is that it will help Kenichi to build trust in others and allay his increasingly negative perceptions of other humans through social interaction, while still helping those in need."

Atlas raised an eyebrow, but still smirked, "That's some pretty fancy psychology-talk there. You must've been schooled pretty well before you ended up down here."

"I learned nearly everything I know from Kenichi. What he did not teach me, I learned through my own means in order to be a better person for him."

Atlas chuckled, "Now who's being obsessed? Anyway, let's hope that you're as good at learning proper medical care as you are at everything else, 'cause we sure do need it."

Atlas brought her to a small collection of tables piled with papers, and even a working computer (which was now something of a rarity in Zone 1). There were several nurses there, all working diligently.

"This is Miss Hoinga, she'll be showing you the ropes. Hoinga, this is Tima."

"Hello Miss Tima, we're glad for any help we can get. Let me show you our filing system and you can start by helping me sort through these papers."

"I'll see you later; I've got some things to take care of." Atlas departed as Tima gave a wave of acknowledgement while listening intently to Hoinga's instructions.

* * *

"All right, let's get moving! Everyone report for your crew assignments and locations! Have your papers on hand and if you have any problems say so BEFORE getting your time-stamp!"

Kenichi disembarked the cart-train, one of nearly a half-dozen parked next to an assortment of small vehicles designed to traverse the small, tight spaces of the Metropolis underground. Standing in line next to several hundred other workers, Kenichi tried not to draw too much attention to himself. Though most of the other workers towered over him, there were also a fair number of teenagers and even children younger than him as well. Jobs were scarce, so it was everyone's duty to help support their families, regardless of age.

Kenichi had no idea where he was going to be assigned, but his work papers indicated his skills in mechanics and electronics, and also had a special stamp from Atlas recognizing him as working as a transitional government aide. Just how a lowly workman was supposed to be a government aide was beyond Kenichi, but figured that it had something to do with politics (which he beginning to detest with a vehemence). Atlas had assured him however, that it would allow him to be placed on a work-crew alongside several others that Atlas trusted. Kenichi didn't exactly trust that Atlas wasn't just using this as an excuse to spy on him, but he supposed it was better than the alternative of being assigned with a group of total strangers. He had even seen Bottles standing in line earlier and had managed to briefly wave to him before having to move forward!

Kenichi tried to remain calm, but was truly worried that something would go wrong. Despite his fears, the line went more-or-less smoothly and Kenichi was processed and placed with a work-crew comprised mostly of the same people he had come over with. A half-hour later they were on another cart-train. And a great deal of time after that, they had arrived at their destination; a broken sewage-pump station that led down into Zone 3.

Kenichi sighed.

It was going to be a long…and smelly…day.

* * *

"Umph!"

Atlas stared down at the limp and bruised figure that had been tossed in front of him. The man was Caucasian, and appeared to be in his 30's. He had on fine, but casual, clothes…well, that had been fine before he had been ruffed up, anyway.

"Are you sure this is the guy?" Atlas asked Mickey, one of his most trusted "handymen."

"Yeah, it's him. We put a tail on him and caught him talking to the Reds in private. We watched him do it thrice over a week just to be sure."

"And you're sure the tail isn't just stretching to get some extra credits?"

Mickey looked a bit perturbed.

"I WAS the tail!"

Atlas could only raise an eyebrow and flush ever-so-slightly.

"Oh."

Well, that answered that. Atlas may be having some issues trusting people ever since he was betrayed last time, but his right-hand-man Mickey was beyond suspicion…at least as far as anyone could be these days. And since when had he been doing tails? Atlas hadn't even noticed him missing about. He was going to have to keep a closer eye on his friends.

The man that was moaning on the concrete floor before them was suspected (and now apparently confirmed) of being a snitch for the Reds, who were currently the foremost and most powerful of several quasi-state-supported militias vying for power in the political power-struggle taking place on the surface-level. If they backed the right people, and those people gained the majority of power in the new government, then the Reds stood to gain the most from the eventual re-formation of the military and the new state police.

Of course, as the old saying goes, knowledge is power, and the Reds were quickly organizing their intelligence units to infiltrate any and all of the remaining bastions of power left in Metropolis. And Atlas' operation was still one of, if not THE, largest and most well-organized operations in the underground, and thus was a ripe target. They had suspicions about this man ever since he first volunteered his services. (For a brief moment, Atlas' paranoia had also led him to consider whether Kenichi's miraculous re-appearance had also been part of a more nefarious plot, but those concerns were laid to rest when he realized the boy couldn't act nefariously even if his life depended on it.) The man may have been feeding information in exchange for money. After reports of the man disappearing at odd times after being fed false information, Atlas ordered a tail.

For once, his paranoia had proved him right.

"Any idea what he told them?"

"Other than the spam we fed him, not much, I should think. We kept him on the low side of things, just as you ordered. He shouldn't know anything major."

"Not that we even have anything major going on anymore," Atlas huffed.

"Oh, um, well actually, about that…"

Atlas raised his right brow.

"It seems that he was getting kinda close to Sandavol; drinking with him at the pubs and all that. Now, it's not that I don't like Sand-manand all (though he didn't), but sometimes he starts spouting off when he gets hammered. You know, mostly gibberish stuff; ranting. But he was one of the guys that went down when we followed that robot-hugger boy of yours into the tunnels and…" he trailed off with a shrug.

That was all Atlas needed to hear, hard proof or not. He sneered down at the whimpering man.

"Find out what he knows."

"Eh, we already roughed him up. He's pretty much scared himself tight-lipped, even though we found a few hundred credits on him."

"Then un-tighten his lips! I want to know everything he told them, minor or not! Do whatever it takes. We're not going to make any more mistakes."

"All this for a low-level informant? The Reds might not take kindly to us interrogating him, you know? I thought you wanted us to distinguish ourselves from the block gangs? You know, establish ourselves as a real political movement?"

Atlas considered the words for a moment.

"…No, not this time. The militia groups are starting to make their moves. We need to ready, and I don't want to deal with any more surprises than we have to."

Two other men reached forward to grab the informant and drag him off as he pleaded for mercy.

"Hmm, so that's why you had the robot-hugger followed, eh? Keep your friend close, but your enemies closer?"

Atlas was silent for a moment.

"We'll see."

* * *

"And make sure that the wrappings are on tight enough to staunch the blood flow. If you're not sure, then wrap it double. We may be low on wrappings, but it's better to use too much the first time, than use too little and have to come back and do it again later."

Tima nodded and watched closely as Hoinga completed her instruction. Though Tima was relatively well-versed in many first-aid procedures (as she was very protective of Kenichi's welfare), she was by no means as experienced or knowledgeable as a full-fledged nurse. She was, however, learning very quickly. So quickly, in fact, that Hoinga was already considering putting her on a regular rotation with minimal supervision, which was almost unheard of for someone on their first day. Tima was very glad to be helping others, but her true ambition was to gain whatever knowledge she could so that she might be able to help Kenichi should the need ever arise, so she paid close attention, and memorized everything.

But despite her concentration, she couldn't help but worry about Kenichi. She had to remind herself that earlier that morning she was the one who had warned both her partner and Atlas about the effects of over-worrying. And Kenichi did need this job. As odd as it sounded, she was certain the extra work would actually help take his mind off things and help him relax more. Plus, he was on a crew with people who had been picked by Atlas as safe, and Atlas had assured her the work wouldn't be exceptionally dangerous. Plus, there was an alarm robot with him should he need help.

What could go wrong?

MMMMM

"Boss, we have a problem!"

Atlas looked up as one of the men assigned to interrogate the mole ran up to him.

Atlas' face hardened.

"What now?"

* * *

"Okay, try it now!" Kenichi yelled as he flipped the switch on the sewage pump's control board.

"No good!" shouted Bottles. "The gauges still read off; there must be another clog in the system!"

"I can't hear anything!" confirmed another workman who had his ear pressed up against a section of pipe. "We'll have to run the rotor through it again!"

"It went straight through the last time!" yelled the man over by the rotor/maintenance robot (called a Ro2or-bot, which was a type Kenichi had never seen before). "That means the clog can't be on our end. It must be further up the line."

"The crew assigned to the section ahead of us already gave the all-clear," informed the on-site supervisor. "It has to be on this end."

"Pssh, yeah, like I trust those buncha lazy layabouts to do anything! They probably didn't even check it! If I find out those little-"

And it went on and on. Kenichi sighed in mild frustration. Between the banter and the arguing and the occasional mis-communication, the operation was taking way longer than it needed to. Things were just so much easier and straight-forward when he was just working alongside robots.

He snuck another glance at the squatty, modified, Ro2or-bot, which looked kind of like a cross between an octopus and a flying saucer with wheels. The robot, like all robots allowed on the repair crews, was supposed to be under close supervision, but that didn't stop Kenichi from trying to brainstorm a way to get the robot alone and examine him in private. Just for curiosity's sake. He had never seen one of his type before.

Maybe if he could-...was there someone breathing on his neck?

"GAAACK!"

Kenichi jumped and swung around, frightened to see another workman leaning over where his shoulder was a second ago.

"Will you stop doing that!" Kenichi hissed. That had been the third time this morning this particular man had snuck on him. It was the same one he could've sworn kept glancing across at him during the train-ride here.

The stout man in overalls laughed sheepishly.

"Oh. Sorry if I frightened you. It's just that you're new here, right? I'm Lenny, pleased to meet you."

The man shook Kenichi's hand, even though Kenichi couldn't remember offering it.

"So just what were you staring at over there? The supervisor? The robot?"

"Uhh…"

"So I haven't seen you around here before," he repeated. "What part of the Zone are you from? Or are you one of the new immigrant laborers? Aren't you supposed to be in the official work-camps? You don't look like you're from around here." He leaned in real close and whispered in a conspiratual tone, "Are you one of Atlas' men? You can tell me, Atlas and I go way back."

Kenichi had to take a step back. The man was invading his personal space far more than he found comfortable. He couldn't tell if the man was just being outgoing or if he was one to ignore social customs, but his questions threw Kenichi off-guard and he mumbled out some sort of excuse to get away from the intrusion.

"Hey Lenny, get back on that release valve! We're going to have the robot go in one more time just to be sure the rotor didn't dislodge any debris on its way out!" shouted the on-site supervisor, much to Kenichi's relief.

Lenny put up his hands in an apologetic gesture.

"Ah, right, right, boss! I'll get right on it. Just chatting it up a little, huh?" And he scuttled back up a nearby ladder to the relief valve.

"And be sure to watch that flow line! The last thing we need is a methane leak!"

"Uh, yeah, sure boss!"

Kenichi sighed in relief and kept a wary eye on Lenny as he set about preparing the pump circuit for another go. Kenichi hoped the man was just trying to be overly-friendly, but still, he just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about him that he didn't like.

* * *

"Wow, you're new here, huh? I've never seen you here before, so you must be new. You're very pretty! Are you from around here? You don't look like you're from here. I love your hair! It's soooo shiny! Do you wash it often? You look pretty young. They're still letting you work here even though you're so young? I wish I could work here. I live here anyway, so you think they'd let me work here, but they won't let me! That's sooo unfair, right? I could be a good nurse! Or even a doctor! Are you a nurse, or are you a doctor? Do you know what the difference is? I think the nurses are much more-…."

Tima was taken aback from the seemingly never-ending line of questions coming from the energetic child in front of her.

"Now, now, settle down Zoe," chided Miss Hoinga. "Tima, this is Zoe, one of our more…energetic patients." She gestured down at the excited 7-year-old child, who was practically bouncing off the thin bed. She was quite cute, with rosy cheeks, a button nose, and long brunette hair, wearing long-sleeved pajamas. She was also apparently very excitable.

"So your name's Tima? That's a cool name! What's it mean? Did you name yourself, or did your parents name you that? My name's Zoe, but you already knew that didn't you? I chose it myself! Isn't it a cool name?"

"You…named yourself?" asked Tima, baffled. She had no idea humans could choose their own names.

"Yeah, isn't it cool? I like it 'cause it sounds like it's full of energy and it's unusual. I think unusual names are the ones most likely to bring you good magic!"

"Magic? What is magic?" asked Tima.

"You know, like good luck and stuff! It helps ward off evil spirits! I'm sure it's much better than the name my parents gave me!"

"What did your parents name you?"

"Oh, I dunno," Zoe shrugged. "Probably some dopey name like Sue or Jane or Bethany or Valerie or Nao or Erika or As-_Cough! Cough-cough-cough! Hack-cough!_"

The young girl suddenly began hacking and couching violently and Tima backed up in alarm as Hoinga moved forward with an inhaler and forced it into the girl's mouth. After a few minutes and several pumps from the inhaler, the girl began to breathe normally, though it was obviously much more painful and strained than before.

"Is that…some type of medical condition?" Tima asked. She was familiar with many ailments from her reading of the medical texts, but she had yet to cover afflictions of the lungs and other, more serious, internal injuries.

"I'm afraid so," replied Hoinga. "It's some type of chronic inflammation of the lungs, though we don't know what type. Whatever it is, it seems a bit more severe than your typical case of asthma, which is common enough down here with the poor air circulation, mold, pollution and dust particles. There are several possibilities, but we just don't have the equipment down here to diagnose it, and so we don't know for sure what type of medication would be best for her treatment. Right now we're giving her a generic anti-inflammatory to help tide her over, but it's a type of leukotriene antagonist. I'd much rather we give her a corticosteroid, but I'm afraid we just don't have enough to spare right now. Of course, her condition would improve markedly if she _didn't over-stimulate herself so much_," she said while looking pointedly at the recovering girl.

"Ahh, don't be mean like that Hoi-chinga," the girl whispered, while Hoinga's brow ticked at the purposeful mis-pronunciation of her name. "Besides, I have to do something for fun around here, right?"

The girl looked up at Tima in a conspiratual way before whispering, "It's _soooo_ boring here. They never let me out to play 'cause they're afraid I'll puff up like a big balloon and then pop and spray blood and guts everywhere like a piñata! But it would still beat sitting here all day."

"A…piñata?" Tima was learning a whole host of new words today, it seemed.

Zoe giggled, "Ha! You're funny! Even your name sounds funny! T-i-m-a. It sounds something with lima beans in it, huh? Do you like lima beans? I've never tasted them, but I don't think I'd like them. Their name is funny though, so maybe I'd get more good magic if I did eat some! What do you think?"

"Now Zoe, calm down!" admonished Hoinga. "Do you want to have another episode so soon after your last one?"

Zoe huffed, but did stop jumping up and down.

Just when Tima thought things couldn't get any more…energetic, a small ruckus at the entrance of the makeshift hospital caught their attention. A rather large man in a black suit and bowler hat had just shrugged off a nurse who had tried to question him as he rushed towards them. Tima recognized him as Mickey, one of Atlas' men. He ran briskly up to them.

"Miss Tima, I need you to come with me, now!"

"What? Why?" interrupted Hoinga.

"We think your friend Kenichi might be trouble. There's no time to lose, I'll explain on the way."

He didn't look back as he turned around and began racing back out again.

He didn't need to. Tima was right behind him.

"Finally, something interesting!" yelled Zoe.

* * *

"Okay, try it now!"

Kenichi nodded and clicked a small switch at the base of the control board. Further along the line, several others did the same, while others began turning control valves in sequence. A small rumbling noise built up in the background, and Kenichi could feel the vibrations through his body.

The supervising team began yelling out pressure numbers along the segments, all of which were sounding within normal range. (If their tone of voice was anything to go by, that is. After all, it wasn't like Kenichi knew a great deal about sewage repairs.) As the technicians continued their checks, Kenichi, out of morbid curiosity (or perhaps slight paranoia) glanced up the ladder beside him to the small platform above, where Lenny was still turning the valve.

…Wait?...Was he supposed to be still turning the valve? None of the others were still turning theirs.

"Uh, Mr., uh, Lenny? Is everything okay?"

Lenny kept on turning the valve, either not hearing, or just ignoring, him.

"Mr. Lenny?!" Kenichi yelled louder.

The rumbling noise in the background increased in intensity. The supervising tech team began yelling something, but it was drowned out. The next thing Kenichi felt was a huge blow to one side, a brief instance of vertigo, and then another, more jolting, pain to his ribs. Kenichi looked up to see that Bottles had tackled him against the ground. What? He was about to shove Bottles off, when his vision when white and his skin felt like it was on fire.

The pipeline had exploded.

MMMMMM

People were shouting. Fires were raging. There were cries of anguish and pain. A group of men were trying desperately to position a steel girder as a lever to lift off some debris, but were pushed back by the flames.

This was the scene that Tima came upon as she raced to find Kenichi.

"Kenichi! KENICHI! Kenichi, where are you?"

She ran around, shouting his name repeatedly, but there was no answer. She hoped desperately that he simply couldn't hear her over the other men's' shouting and the roar of the flames. She ran from person to person to ask if they'd seen him, but they were either too busy or frantic to help, or they didn't know who it was she was searching for. Some didn't even speak the same language as her. She had lost sight of Mickey and Atlas shortly after they had arrived.

She had no idea what to do, other than continue searching. How was she going to find her Kenichi in all of this mess? Was this what Kenichi had felt like as he searched the rubble all those months searching for her? How did he do it all by himself? Wait. He did not do it alone.

Tima found herself standing still, gazing into the flaming debris. Inside of her, something clicked, almost subconsciously. She could feel another presence.

A short moment later (or was it an eternity?) a shrill-sounding siren could be heard over the flames, followed almost immediately by the small form of a mouse-shaped robot, with attached siren, dashing out from under the debris. Tima knelt down and the small robot scurried into her open hand, as a glazed look came over her eyes. No words were spoken. None needed to be.

Tima was unaware that much of the activity around her had ceased as the workers stared at them. Even if she had been aware, she would not have cared.

Then, almost as fast as the strange exchange began, it ended…and Tima and the robot raced forward, followed closely by its counterpart, who had emerged from Tima's knap-sack and had rolled down her back and legs and then followed her.

Atlas, who was finally able to locate Tima when the frantic activity had seemed to come to an eerie standstill in her vicinity, could only watch in horror as the little girl ran straight into the flames before anyone could stop her.

* * *

Kenichi had closed his eyes and tried his best to block the sounds from reaching his ears. It wasn't the roar of the flames; that he could handle. It was the screams of pain and the anguish-ridden face of bottles he couldn't face. The man lay trapped on top of him, enduring the full blast of the explosion in order to protect him. Deep down, Kenichi felt immense gratitude and even a little guilt and shame, but right now his predominant thoughts were of empathy and worry for his savior and desperately trying to figure out how to get them both out of this situation.

He didn't even notice the hands on his shoulders until he felt himself being dragged out. He dared to open his eyes.

"T-Tima!"

In that instant, Kenichi felt two things; immense relief at being saved by Tima, wearing a soft smile of concern on her face…and immense horror at the fact that half of the right side of her face was burnt off, with her metallic under-shell clearly showing through. The renewed screams nearby replaced those feelings of horror with even stronger ones. Bottles, unlike Tima, was certainly not fire-resistant!

"Stay here," Tima told him, as if he would do otherwise.

She quickly began pulling the debris off the screaming man with much more strength than a girl her size should have. Kenichi wanted to help, but the heat was still too intense, and he was still recovering. Looking anywhere but towards the source of the screams, he realized that they were in a relatively sheltered cove, where the debris from the blast had smothered much of the flames. If they had been any further from the wall, they would've been incinerated, and any closer and they would have been blasted apart by shrapnel. Kenichi thanked his good fortune that he had landed where he did. It only then fully dawned on him that his good fortune was an over-eager man-no, not just a man, but a friend as well-who had knowingly shoved him out of harm's way. Kenichi hoped dearly that it wasn't at the cost of his own life.

The screams stopped, replaced by heavy sobs and deep pants for breath. Kenichi finally gathered the courage to look over as Tima half-walked and half-dragged Bottles towards him, accompanied by two small fire-alarm robots. Kenichi scrambled over to help, placing him gingerly in a sitting position on the ground. He was very thankful that Bottles was still able to move, and it seemed that most of the damage was done to his back.

He wanted to say something encouraging, something profound in exchange for his brave friend's actions…but in the end could only end up muttering a simple thank you before trying his best to help him through the pain.

It was in the relative silence that followed that he realized there was second set of screams, ones that had been covered by the sound of Bottles and the roar of the flames. Tima and Kenichi looked up at the gapping wall. Lenny was still there, injured and hanging precariously from the half-collapsed platform above.

Tima looked down at Kenichi.

"I can't reach him."

"We have to go for help!"

Tima shook her head, "There's too much debris and the fire is still too large, they will not get here in time."

Kenichi started thinking frantically, all the while trying to ignore Lenny's faint screams and Bottles' heavy breathing.

"There has to be something…" It clicked. "I know! Tima, can…can you go back out there again?" he looked at her with worry.

She nodded, touched by his concern, but knowing that she could withstand the elements better than he, or any human, could.

"W-wait," a weak and pained voice choked out.

Tima and Kenichi were at Bottles' side in an instant.

"Try not to speak. Don't worry, everything will be okay; you just try and rest," Kenichi mumbled comfortingly.

"Sh-she'll need this," Bottles said, ignoring Kenichi's instructions and trying, with much pain, to remove his lengthy brown overcoat, which was singed at the edges and burnt into the skin of his back.

"Ah, what are you doing? Leave that alone!" cried Kenichi.

"But…she'll need it," he emphasized again.

The two looked at him in confusion. He leaned over and touched the side of his face, and then reached over to stroke Tima's exposed, metallic cheek. Shock briefly overtook the couple's expressions as they stared at each other.

He knew.

* * *

"Any sign of him?"

"Which one," asked Mickey**,** standing next to a very serious Atlas, "the boy, the girl, or the man?"

"Any of them!"

"No. They were all here, it's been confirmed, but we can't find them at present. Either they ran off, or were caught in the explosion. There's also anywhere from 7 to 12 others unaccounted for, but we can't get specifics. It's just too chaotic. And now the girl has run off-"

"Any word on the cause?" Atlas interrupted the last sentence tersely.

"Nothing's confirmed yet, and it'll probably be awhile before we know for sure, if we ever know at all. Some of the workers think it might have been some type of methane build-up. There might've been some old un-registered gas pipes nearby that had some left-over fuel; might've exacerbated the problems. The crew supervisor said these types of explosions are happening all the time now. This is actually the third this month alone, but it's the first that it's actu-"

"What is that!" someone shouted.

From out of the flames and smoke, a form appeared, almost ghost-like. As it came closer, the specter turned into the form of a young girl with ash-tinged skin, and a rather large and burnt overcoat covering the right side of her face and body, with a small robot at her side.

"Tima!" shouted Atlas.

The girl snapped to face him, her one visible, uncovered eye staring straight at him with a hint of…something? No, wait. She was staring _behind_ him. Before he could even turn around, Atlas found himself being pushed aside. A robot, the crew's Ro2or-bot, he realized, had rushed past him to stand aside Tima. Then, without word or gesture, Tima rushed back into the flaming debris, the robots hot on her heels.

"Wait! Tima!" Atlas shouted as the work-crew also yelled at the robot to return.

But it was too late.

* * *

Kenichi breathed out a sigh of relief as Tima re-appeared, this time with only some slight additional burns, (as she and the fire-bots had thoroughly mapped out the safest way through the flaming debris by now) with the Ro2or-bot by her side. They all looked up at the precariously hanging platform and the screaming worker.

"His arms should reach that high, I just don't know if he's strong enough to hold that much weight," explained Kenichi.

"If we stand underneath him, we can help catch him if he falls," responded Tima.

Kenichi glanced down at Bottles worriedly. He hated the idea of leaving his friend lying there in pain, even if he was just going a few meters away and couldn't really do all that much to help relieve his pain anyway.

As if reading his mind, Bottles urged him, "Go. It's not like…umph…I'll be going anywhere." He chuckled at the last remark, but Kenichi didn't find it very funny, even though he knew Bottles was just trying to put his mind at ease.

Kenichi jumped up to join Tima and the robot underneath the flailing man.

He yelled up, "Lenny! We're going to get you down! Grab the robot's arm! He'll lower you down!"

"W-what? No! Don't! Just get a ladder or something! Get me down! No! Help!"

"We don't have time for that!" yelled Kenichi. "Just grab on! Everything will be fine!"

The Ro2or-bot extended one of its flexible, almost vacuum-hose-like, arm upwards. At the end was a two-pronged attachment that would normally spin at high speeds and cut through obstructions in pipelines. Luckily, Ro2or-bots were know for excellent control and precision, even in a line of work that more often called for brute force. The robot gingerly picked up Lenny by the back of his overcoat to gently lower him down.

Unfortunately, Lenny had other ideas.

"No! Stop! Help!"

The panicked man continued to hold the platform railing in a death grip, refusing to release it. Ro2or-bot was getting impatient, and began yanking harder, causing both Lenny and the platform to shake and groan. Kenichi feared a collapse was imminent.

"Let go!" he yelled.

Unfortunately, again, Lenny finally decided to let go…just as Ro2or-bot yanked hard.

"AAHHHH!"

"Watch ou-uhmmph!"

"Ah-umph!"

Lenny fell right out of Ro2or's grip and on top of the young couple below, who had broken his fall…

"Ack! Shit! The pain! IT HURTS!" he screamed.

More or less.

* * *

"Any sign of them?" asked Atlas, again.

"Not yet, but now that the Fire Brigade's here, it'll only be a matter of time before the fire is put out," responded Mickey**.**

All around the edges of the fire, a mixture of human volunteers and scrounged-up robots (only a few of which were originally designed to fight fires) were working frantically to get the fire under control.

Atlas growled under his throat.

"Grr, if he's done anything to hurt those kids, I'll-"

"Look, over there!" shouted out one of the workers.

Limping out through a cloud of smoke and ash, Kenichi supported the limping form of Bottles, while Tima (still wearing Bottles' overcoat wrapped around her right side) and the Ro2or-bot support the less injured, but more shell-shocked, form of Lenny.

Everyone was silent for a moment, as if in awe of their presence.

The feeling was quickly shattered however-

"GRAB HIM!" -when Atlas yelled out.

Kenichi flinched hard. Obviously Tima's "disguise" hadn't worked and Atlas wasn't taking it well. He would've tried to defend himself, to run, to place himself in front of Tima, but he couldn't drop Bottles for risk of injuring him further, and they were surrounded anyway. He prepared himself to be grabbed and hauled off…

…but after a moment of nothing happening, he cautiously opened his eyes, only to see that two men had taken Lenny off of Tima and Ro2or's hands (and, err, mechanical claws) and were hauling him away! Lenny had apparently come out of his shell-shock when he realized what was happening and began yelling and screaming and trying vainly to struggle. Kenichi's confusion only grew as Atlas approached him and, rather than grab him harshly as Kenichi expected, took position on the other side of Bottles and helped Kenichi carry him over to where an improvised trauma unit was being set up.

As they gently set Bottles down, Kenichi was finally able to ask Atlas what was going on.

* * *

"So, he was really a spy all along?"

Atlas nodded, "That's how it appears. He was being paid by one of the new up-and-coming political factions to keep an eye on the happenings down here and report anything of value that they could use to their own advantage."

Kenichi sat cross-legged across from Atlas as the two drank some hot liquid (Kenichi refused to call the flavorless substance tea), with a blanket around his shoulders. (Why they thought he needed a blanket, he hadn't the slightest idea, but accepted it gratefully nonetheless.) His ankle, only slightly sprained from when Lenny had fallen on him, had been bandaged up and he had been told to keep off of it for the time being.

"So, he sabotaged the pipeline to make it explode?"

Atlas shrugged, "It's possible, but we don't think so. Looks like he was less experienced than he made himself out to be, and probably didn't understand what he was doing. Just one idiot mistake and look at all the damage he caused!" Atlas exclaimed and waved his hand around at the destruction. "Then again, I guess you should know better than anyone…you were caught up right in the middle of it."

Kenichi paused for a moment before responding.

"Yeah. And if…if it hadn't been for Bottles…" his voice trailed off as he glanced over several meters to his left, where Bottles was being treated and looked after by Tima, who was supervised by Hoinga from the hospital staff, and…some strange girl in pajamas Kenichi had never seen before?

* * *

"They seem to mostly be first-and-second-degree burns, thankfully, and over less than ten percent of his body, mostly on the right side of his upper back, side, chest, and ribcage." Hoinga pointed out the areas to Tima, who was following along with rapt attention. "He's in much better shape than some of the other patients, who already had to be transported to the hospital. I think his injuries, as painful as they must seem to him, are light enough that he shouldn't require emergency treatment. Unfortunately, there are two areas, here and here," she pointed to two small areas, about an inch in diameter that were beginning to blister, "that might develop into third-degree burns and cause tissue scarring. We should keep an eye on them when we next change the bandages. If the blisters begin turning white or fill with puss, we'll have to perform an excision both to the damaged tissue, and to the layer of healthier tissue around them, in order for the area to heal properly and minimize scarring."

Tima nodded in understanding and proceeded to finish applying the bandages to the worst-burnt areas. They didn't have enough bandages in stock to cover all the burns, so only the worst of the second-degree burns were covered to help prevent infection. Luckily, Bottles was so exhausted from his ordeal that he was on the verge of falling asleep, despite the lingering pain, and thus offered little resistance. When she was done Hoinga turned to her.

"Well done young lady. But now that the worst is over, we really should have a look at your own injuries before we head back."

She moved forward to remove the overcoat from Tima's side. Tima, of course, flinched and moved out of her arm's reach. In the commotion after the fire, she was able to secure some bandages to help conceal some of her exposed metal undercoating, but bandages were in short supply, and she didn't want to waste them, so only part of her face was covered. If the head nurse took off the overcoat, her true nature would be revealed.

"Thank you, but I am fine," answered Tima.

Hoinga fixed her with a scowl.

"Now, why don't I be the judge of that, seeing as how I'm the head nurse and all?"

She tried to remove the coat once more, but Tima grabbed onto it stubbornly.

"My injuries are minor. Kenichi will see to them."

"Oi, now, don't be stubborn, I understand if you're a bit shy about showing off your injuries, but I'm a professional, and I really need to take a look at you before-"

"But it's such a beautiful coat! I think it goes great with her eyes!" a voice shouted, seemingly from nowhere.

Zoe, appearing as if from thin air like the magic implied by her name, shoved her way between Hoinga's well-meaning, but persistent, hands and Tima's (formerly Bottles') overcoat. Hoinga looked at her with a cross of mild annoyance, and confusion as to how she could consider the obviously beat-up and burnt coat as "beautiful." Then again, she was running around in pajamas, so she obviously had a…unique…fashion sense.

"Yes, well, she can have it back after I'm done. And just what are you doing here anyway? I thought I told you to stay at the hospital!"

"Awww, but it's _sooo_ boring there, Hoi-chinga!" the girl whined in an overly-dramatic high-pitched voice and mis-pronounced the nurse's name. "All I do is sit around in bed all day! I want to be where the action is! And Tima got to come and she's not _that_ much older than me! She even got to run into the fire! It's not fair!"

The nurse had just about had enough and was going to force the issue, when Kenichi came stumbling forward (despite being told to stay off his leg), and Tima went to support him. Atlas followed closely behind.

"Is there a problem?" Atlas asked at the commotion.

"I simply need to examine her before we head back to the hospital," explained Hoinga as she gestured at the covered face of Tima, while also trying to grab a hold of Zoe.

Atlas looked at the young couple for an explanation. Kenichi had to think quickly or this could get out of hand. After Tima helped him stand up, he ushered Atlas a few feet away to talk privately while Hoinga continued to argue with Tima, who was now adamantly ignoring her requests in an almost fitful manner, while Zoe took it all as game and also began making faces and jumping all around Hoinga and turning her back to the nurse like Tima every time Hoinga tried to get her to stop.

"So, what's the deal with your girlfriend?" asked Atlas in a whisper as the impromptu circus continued in the background.

"She's not my-! Err, j-just forget it." Now Kenichi was the one who was almost pouting, and Atlas, despite the seriousness of the situation, almost burst out laughing. Luckily, it gave Kenichi just enough time to think of an excuse. "Look…you know how Tima always curls her hair so that it frames her cheeks just a little?"

Atlas couldn't honestly say that he had noticed, or particularly cared either, but nodded to Kenichi to continue.

"Well, it's not something that she likes others to know about; in fact, I probably shouldn't tell you, but under the circumstances…"

Atlas gestured for Kenichi to go on and get to the point.

"Well, she kind of has this condition, and she's had it ever since she was born…she's really kind of sensitive about it, and she tries to hide it…"

Atlas sighed and was tempted to pull a face-palm. Even in the middle of all of these serious problems, he was _still_ forced to deal with typical teenage drama? He was their friend, and perhaps, maybe even their caretaker (in the sense that he saw himself as a caretaker of everyone living under the city), but that _didn't_ mean he was their babysitter!

"Look, are you sure you can't just convince her to-"

"Zoe! Stop that! Now Tima, be reasona-OW! Zoe! That's my hair! Let go right this instant young lady!"

"Hey Atlas, come one already! We gotta go!" shouted the cart-train driver, who was getting impatient, as were all the other workers who were ready to go home and get the horrible events of the day out of the minds (preferably by drowning them in bootleg liquor).

Atlas sighed (again).

"Hoinga! Forget it for now! You can check her out at the hospital. Get your stuff and get ready to go! Tima, Kenichi, get Bottles on the train! You there, girl, er, whatever your name is, give the nurse back her shoe! No! Don't touch that! Just get on the train! Mickey, tell the crew supervisor I want to be kept informed about whatever they find out! Let's go already!"

In true form, everyone followed Atlas' orders to the letter (well, maybe Zoe had to be shoved back on the train and then insisted on sitting between Tima and Kenichi despite their protests), and his true skill as a leader (and annoyed guardian) showed through. It was little wonder that he was able to inspire so many people to his cause.

In the ensuing hubbub however, nobody seemed to notice Tima subtly gesturing to the Ro2or-bot, who then attached himself to the back of the train and rolled behind as they began to chug along.

* * *

Though the frantic pace slowed down for the duration of the train ride (Zoe's constant squirming aside), it picked up again even more so than before once they arrived at the hospital. With the additional injuries from the explosion, the already crowded hospital was now overflowing. With the staff overwhelmed, and supplies short, Tima was immediately recruited to help out, despite her lack of experience. Zoe went along to assist, if for no reason than the girl now seemed to be as enamored with Tima as a lost puppy would be.

Though Kenichi had virtually no medical experience (with humans, anyway), he still tried his best to help out where he could by carrying supplies and messages around as a courier and cleaning up where he could. Despite the crowd, he eventually stumbled upon Bottles, who was sitting on the floor.

"Sorry, but we don't have any beds available right now," explained a busy male nurse that Kenichi had been able to flag down. "If he's not seriously injured, then we can't spare any room right now."

Kenichi looked around in disdain. Not only was there no room, but the chances of Bottles getting any of the care he needed seemed unlikely, as the doctors and other staff had to devote all their time and resources to the most critically injured. He felt bad. If it weren't for Bottles, _he_ would be the one sitting on the concrete floor in pain…or worse.

Atlas eventually stopped by.

"I know it's not the best of conditions, but overall he's actually really fortunate. Many people were injured much worse than he was."

Kenichi couldn't help but think that he'd be one of those people, if not for the person lying in front of him.

"Anyway, he's lucky to have the hospital staff nearby if he needs anything. Now that your girlfriend is working here, I'm sure he'll be in good hands," he said while clasping a hand on Kenichi's shoulder. Kenichi tried to turn away slightly to hide his blush, but he was caught red-cheeked, so to speak.

Atlas couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Even though he was stressed and tired, the antics of the young couple still managed to bring out the best in him. In times like these, he was desperately thankful for it. Unfortunately, reality called…

"Excuse me, but I have other things that I need to attend to." He turned to leave.

"Wait! What's going to happen to Lenny?"

Atlas paused before turning back to face Kenichi.

"Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it."

"You're not going to hurt him, are you?"

"Hmph, figures. Even after all the damage he caused, you're still concerned about him? You do realize he's the reason your friend is injured, don't you?"

"T-That's no excuse! It may have been an accident! And even if it wasn't, that doesn't give you the right to act like one of those tyrants you're trying to rebel against!"

Atlas shuddered briefly, but Kenichi couldn't tell whether it was out of shame or anger.

"Okay, okay, relax!" He waved his hand down dramatically. "We didn't need to do anything. Lenny confessed everything he knew almost immediately after we took custody of him. Turns out he was even using his real name and identity, so we were able to check up on his story pretty quick. He sang like a bird, and now he'll stay in custody until we can get something worked out. I made sure that he wasn't harmed, and he'll even get three meals a day in the meantime, which is more than most people living down here do, as I'm sure you know. Happy?"

Kenichi still looked annoyed, but nodded. This situation was bad enough without him having to worry about _more_ people getting hurt, even if they were at least partially at fault. Atlas didn't feel the need to mention that it was partly because he expected Kenichi to react this way that he didn't have Lenny roughed up more than necessary. Kenichi and Tima were proving to be one of the few bright spots in his life at this moment, and, though he wouldn't admit it, he found himself going out of way to appease them.

He also didn't feel the need to tell Kenichi that Lenny's partner hadn't been as cooperative, and it took a little more than harsh stares to get him to lead them to Lenny in the first place. After all, he couldn't expect to get out of this without getting his hands a little dirty…well, dirtier…and he knew it would just upset the boy. He had enough on his plate as it was.

But once again, Kenichi proved to be smarter than others sometimes gave him credit for.

"Just how did you find out what he was up to, anyway?"

Atlas shrugged, deciding to play it diplomatically, remembering something Mickey had said to him earlier.

"Let's just say that I like to keep my friends close, but my enemies closer."

He began to walk away again.

"And which one am I?"

He paused.

"I should think that you would've figured that out by now. But ultimately, I guess the answer to that question lies more with you than it does with me."

Atlas left Kenichi with a lot to think about. But surprisingly, the thing that stood out most in his mind at the moment was his comment about Bottles being in good hands with Tima on the hospital staff looking after him.

That gave Kenichi an idea…

* * *

Several hours had passed and Kenichi was just about to go out looking for Tima, even though he knew she may still be busy helping other patients. Fortunately, Tima choose just that moment to show up. She carried Bottles' burnt jacket in her arms, and her exposed components were now completely covered by cloth and bandages. She must've covered them when no one was looking.

"They said I required rest and should return for the morning shift," she explained. "It is probably for the best. I don't believe I would be able to hide my "injuries" from them much longer. We should probably "treat" them soon."

Kenichi nodded, and looked aside abashedly.

"I…I'm sorry that you were injured. Thank you for coming after me like that."

Tima was taken aback.

"Of course I came after you! We rely on each other! You do not need to apologize for my injuries. You were not the cause, and it was a sacrifice I was more than willing to make to ensure your safety, Kenichi."

Kenichi blushed and had to fight the urge to hug Tima right in the middle of the very public and crowded hospital, but right now he had some convincing of his own to do.

"Actually Tima, there's something I want to talk to you about."

She nodded inquisitively.

"We rely on each other and look out for one another, right?"

She nodded again. "And the rest of our family as well," she added.

"Exactly! Well, you see, the thing is, earlier, during the middle of everything that happened, I had to rely on Bottles to save me, even though I didn't ask him to. He really came through for me, but he was hurt as a result. And, well, it's just…I don't think this is the right place for him to get better. I know we're busy, and have other things to worry about, but I really owe him for saving me, so I wondering if maybe, we could look after him for a while?"

He looked up at her hopefully.

She smiled quite timidly, and Kenichi was thrown off for a moment.

"Actually…"

From behind her, out stepped the small form of a little girl, Zoe, if he recalled, who was waving shyly while standing next to the Ro2or-bot and the two small fire-alarm robots.

"…I was thinking the same thing."

* * *

AN: I know it's been awhile since I updated, and I hope to write more soon. I have the basic plot of the entire story already thought out; it's just finding the effort and time to write it! But I'd still like to thank everyone who's kept up with this story in the meantime! Also, my regular beta-reader, **Gear001**, has been busy with his own fantastic writing endeavors, so any grammatical or spelling errors in this chapter are mine and mine alone. Damn you **Gear001**, who am I gonna blame for my inferior writing skills now! (LOL Just Joking!)

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Reviews, even ones with constructive criticism, will probably help me write out faster! Thanks!


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